The Reconstruction of Szirmay-Waldbott Mansion in Tolcsva

Architect: Mihály Rudolf
Text: Rita Tuczai
Photos: József Hajdú

Tolcsva, a former agricultural town of the Tokaj-Hegyalja region abounds in relics of the past. The Szirmay-Waldbott mansion is renowned far away for its representative aristocratic grandeur and elegance, and also treasures an intense erudition of agriculture. As of today, it functions as a visitors’ centre still trying to find its role in the life of its surroundings. The construction of the mansion was started by the Szirmay family, which had its estates here, and played a key role in politics, religious life and culture in the whole country. Then in 1880 the estate and the mansion were purchased by Count  Frigyes Waldbott and made it the centre of their family life and their estate too. Parallel with the development of their economy, they went on extending and modernizing the building. The late Classicist style mansion has rooms for representation, featuring spaciousness, geometric order and precise symmetry. The reconstruction project so far has been integrated with the aims of the former owners by researching and revealing the values created by them, applying delicate details where it was necessary, or where the surviving original designs show only fragments of the original conditions of the structure.

Leading architect: Mihály Rudolf DLA
Architects: Endre Szamosi, Katalin Molnár, András Bögös, Eszter Szélné Mercz, Borbála Huszanyik, Zoltán Lipták
Gardening: Attila Vincze, Zsófia T. Brózik
Structure: Zoltán Kalydy 
HVAC: Géza Várfalvi 
Electrical engineering: Gábor Münnich
Fire protection: Pál Söllei Dr.
Exhibition installation: Ágnes Deigner
Timber research: Kálmán Kemenczki 
Frescoe research: Klára Nemessányi, Péter Boromisza
Wooden restoration: Zsófia Lászlóné Balogh 
Building history documentation: Beáta Bordás, Zsolt Virág
Informants: Jánosné Báró Waldbott, Gábor Szirmay, Ferenc Pauleczki Ifj.
Inventory value: Zoltán Simon 
Wall carpet research: István Feld, Zoltán Simon
Main contractor: Közlak-Ép Zrt. – Antalné Szalay, Antal Szalay 
Exhibition design: Rita Igaz, Gyöngy Molnár, Zsolt Virág
Installation implementation: Dominium Kft.
Furniture, accessories: Majoros És Társa Faipari Kft.
Stone restoration: István Kovács 
Wooden panel restoration: Zsófia Lászlóné Balogh 
Controller: Tamás Horváth