Renovation of Esterházy Castle, Fertőd

Architects: Katalin Csillag, Zsolt Gunther
Text: Tamás Kiss
Photos: Tamás Bujnovszky

The concept of the Esterházy Castle in Fertőd, built in the 1770s by Miklós Esterházy “The Bright”, is a huge Baroque-Rococo building complex that has recently undergone several renovations. It has long been an undisguised goal to create an outstanding cultural and tourist facility in Hungary within the historical walls, under the leadership of the Eszterháza Center, which also attracts the filling of the often neglected parts of the building with unworthy functions with old and new content. As part of all this, visitors were recently able to take possession of the spaces created in the western wings of the castle: the gallery, the porcelain chamber and a row of spaces suitable for temporary exhibitions. The old building presented the architectural team led by Katalin Csillag and Zsolt Gunther in front of difficult decisions with many dilemmas during the design. The principle of the designers was clear from the beginning of the work: they did not want to leave a trace of the present with prosthetic-like quotes, but to present today’s transformation as another but restrained layer following the continuity of the building’s life, with gestures that respect the castle’s past.

Client: Eszterháza Kulturális, Kutató- és Fesztiválközpont Közhasznú Nonprofit Kft.
General design: 3h építésziroda
Leading architects: Katalin Csillag, Zsolt Gunther
Fellow architects: Anna Sára Kiss, Tamás Békesi, Dorottya Garay-Kiss, Blanka Klenk, Veronika Novák, Soma Oszlányi
Structure: András Szabó – Ysako Kft.
HVAC: János Bukovics– G&B Plan Kft.
Electrical engineering: Gábor Kun – Hungaroproject Mérnökiroda Kft.
Fire protection: Béla Nagy – Flamma Contra Kft.
Framework: Balázs Takács – FRT Raszter Építésziroda Kft.
Museum technology: Quattronet Kft.
Main contractor: West Hungária Bau Építő Kft.