Zelnik István Gold Museum, Andrássy Avenue, Rauch Villa

Architects: Dániel Varga N., Csaba Orbán
Text: Eszter Götz
Photos: Tamás Bujnovszky

A pivate collector, István Zelnik has now had the only gold museum of Europe established in Andrássy Avenue with a unique collection which Paris or London can only dream of. The former Rauch Villa has been restored to its original Neo-Classicist glory after a reconstruction as an historic monument with high-standard materials and fine details. The atmosphere of the garden is not defined by large gestures but tiny and delicate moves, just like the facade. This attitude defines the whole of the museum building as such. Bordered by a glass partition from the outside, the stairhall has a slightly leaning lateral plane only preparing the change of character as compared to the upper middle-class taste of the facade, but inside it gives over wholly to another world, those of simplified and purified forms, generous and spacious pomp typical of tales, and objects unique in the world. In the foyer behind a massive sliding door gilded with 24 carat gold the exhibition space opens up with a reception counter evoking the foyer of a luxury hotel with an enormous golden Buddha sculpture.

Museum:
Megrendelő / client: dr. Zelnik István – Magyar Indokína Társaság
Belsőépítészet / interior design: Varga N. Dániel – ex Pálffyarchitects, Pálffy György, Hagiwara Kenichiro – Pálffy Építész Stúdió Kft.
Munkatársak / fellow architects: Lovák István, Horváth Tamás, Gulyás Bence, Farkas Anita, Kabdebó Zoltán, Görbicz Máté, Virág Péter – Pálffyarchitects
Kertészet / garden design: Hlatky Katalin, Szakács Barnabás – Lépték Terv Kft.
Világítás tervezés / lights: Farkas János – ERCO
Vízgépészet / water mechanics: Karlócai Péter – Technoconsult Kft.

Reconstruction:
Építészet / architecture: Orbán Csaba, Tölgyesi-Morvai Krisztina – Artonic Design Kft.
Gépészet / technical installations: Györky Attila
Elektromos tervezés / electrical engineering: Czeglédi Marianna – Elcontrol Kft.
Statika / structure: Stágel László – ST Plusz Kft.
Beruházó / investor: Kogart Park Kft.