The Reconstruction of Palatinus Baths, Budapest

Architects: Csaba Nagy, Győző Bujdosó
Text: Miklós Okrutay 
Photos: Tamás Bujnovszky 

Opened back in 1919, the very first open-air baths complex of Budapest has preserved its popularity ever since. It results also from this environment – as Margaret Island is an attractive venue in itself –, but more so from the generous company and the enormous, impressive scales and proportions that made the baths legendary. The primary source of the experience is the complex made up of the building designed by István Janáky realized in 1937–38 and the pools. The contemporary audience received the new „concrete building” with some degree of criticism in which posterity sees the philosophical intellecutal depths of modernism. The chief value of the reconstruction of Palatinus is the approach by which the extension of functions could be realized during the reconstruction project simultaneously with bringing the complex of buildings as close to the original concept as possible.

General architecture: Archikon Kft.
Leading architects: Csaba Nagy, Károly Pólus 
Architects: Bernadett Bóday-Bagó, Dániel Déri, László Dobos Bence, Zsolt Nagy, Éva Nahoczki, Ágnes Tőrös, Szilvia Sebestyén, Bence Várhidi
Structure: Péter Markovits, Márton Szecsey – MTM Kft., Tibor Pintér – EKI Terv Kft., Balázs Halmi Balázs, Petrilla Zsolt – Nádor-Mérnöki Kft.
HVAC: Tamás Zsolt Gál – IzoPlan Kft., Attila Lucz – HVArC Mérnöki Iroda Kft.
Hydraulics: Gábor Horváth, Ervin Barta – Horváth Spa-Consult Kft., Beáta Sáth –Idnatisz Kft.
Outdoor public utilities: Bálint Simon – Siengi Kft.
Electrical engineering: Levente Kuthi – Nádor-Mérnöki Kft., István Karácsony – AP-Lightworks Kft., Dávid Aczél
Fire protection: György Decsi – Fireeng Kft.
Elevator: Gábor Balogh – Schindler Hungária Kft.
Water insolation: Csaba Czégeni – Kristály Kft.
Client: Budapest Gyógyfürdői és Hévizei Zrt.
Main contractor: PALATINUS 2015 Konzorcium – ZÉÁV Építőipari Zrt., Laterex Üzemeltető Kft.