Hungarian Heritage House, Budapest

Architects: Csaba Nagy, Károly Pólus, Botond Benedek, Krisztina T. Major
Text: Tamás Kiss
Photos: Tamás Bujnovszky

Building the Buda-based Vigadó at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries was the realization of middle-class people’s dreams cherished for a long time: they would have liked to have a building similarly to that of the Pest side of the capital, which was a suitable venue for events. Aladár Árkay and Mór Kallina submitted their joint design for the contest published in 1897, and as they won the first prize, they were commissioned to build the house. Serious damages were done to the structure during the world war, and in the following decades it was stripped of its sculpturesque decors as well as of its plasterwork architecture. The facade lacked its original layout of openings as well as its entrance portico. In 2007 the building was restored to its original design by Archikon Architects based on the documents available then. Completed now, the renovation project was managed by Csaba Nagy and his fellow architects, with the aim to follow the same spirituality: the set their primary goal to restore the historic interiors as authentically as possible, and to guarantee the conditions necessary for the modern operations of the institutes housed here.

Design: ARCHIKON Építésziroda
Leading architects: Csaba Nagy, Károly Pólus, Botond Benedek, Krisztina T. Major
Fellow architects: András Botos, Diána Chvalla, Long Yining, Eszter Mészáros, Bence Várhidi
Interiors: András Göde, Balázs Kéry – Kroki Kft., Tamás Berecz, Attila Batári – B+B Műterem Kft., Krisztina T. Major, Long Yining – Archikon Kft.
Paintings: Zsuzsanna Herling
Stoneworks, terrazzo restoration: Gergely Kelecsényi – ALAKart Kft.
Structure: Gábor Cséfalvay, Gábor Szaniszló – TETRA- Plan Kft.
HVAC: Tamás Terék, János Bukovics – G&B Plan Kft.
Electrical engineering: Ferenc Rajkai, Dávid Sándor – HungaroProject Mérnökiroda Kft.
Fire protection: György Decsi – Fireeng Kft.
Sprinkler: Gergely Bánó – PIRO- PLAN Kft.
Framework, isolation: Csaba Czégeni – Bala Terv Bt.
Kitchen technology: Gizella Kuruczné Szabolcs – Design Stúdió Kft.
Elevator: Sándor Nagy
Stage technology: Iván Szabó-Jilek – Szabó- Jilek Kft.
Light effects: Péter Tatarek – Lisys Projekt Kft.
Sound effects: Ferenc Molnár – Lisys Projekt Kft.
Lighting: Ferenc Haász
Acoustics: Éva Borsiné Arató , Gergely Borsi – Arató Akusztikai Kft.
Noise and vibration protection: Andor Fürjes – Aqrate Akusztikai Mérnöki Iroda Kft.
Client: Hagyományok Háza
Main contractor: Épkar Zrt.
Project manager: Gábor Pandur

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