Pest-Buda Hotel, Budapest

Architect: Bernadett Hild Csorba
Text: Eszter Götz
Photos: Tamás Bujnovszky

The oldest hotel building of the country housing today’s Pest-Buda Hotel is found in the neighborhood of the historical quarter of the Castle of Buda, which is a protected site. In 1696 the very first inn combined guesthouse was opened here, only ten years after the liberation of Buda as a sign of the intention to quickly reunite with Europe. It was rebuilt on medieval foundations. Just like the majority of the middle-class houses in the Castle district, it also features intricate spatial relations with the neighbouring buildings. The horizontal plan and layout of the Pest-Buda hotel still bears the marks of times, and the non-stop transformations resulted in a later built-in ceiling with vaults, as well as a chimney, that was channelled over from the neighbouring houses: all these come to make up an intricate system of spatial correlations. The concept worked out by Bernadett Hild Csorba was driven by architectural honesty and straightforwardness: the ambition to show what can be possibly shown either by relocating certain components and materials or rationally recycling them without having to make up authentic details. The finished building thus bears the marks of times but is adjusted to today’s uses and tastes. Every bit of the hotel conveys this kind of dual character which has been transcended into a high standard Gesamtkunstwerk enriched by ideas from interior architect Tibor Somlai.

Leading architect: Bernadett Hild Csorba
Architects: Erika Erdélyi, Ibolya Ráth Miklósné Tóth
Fellow architect: Vivien Tarjányi
Interiors: Tibor Somlai
Fellow designer: Szabolcs Debreczeni
Structure: Dr András Vándor
HVAC: Zoárd Mangel
Electrical engineering: Zoltán Üveges, Péter Gazdagh
Historical experts: Levente Csomortány, Judit Gömöry
Fire protection: András Székács
Acoustics: János Pintér
Painting restoration: Ferenc Springer
Stone restiration: Gábor Ludányi
Historic monument expert: Dr Judit Janotti
Client: Zsidai Gasztronómiai & Hotel Csoport
Main cotractor: Stettin Hungária Kft.