Budapest Városháza Forum Hungary : Architecture

Erick van Egeraat revitalizes Heart of Budapest Budapest - May 27, 2009 Today the City Council of Budapest assigned Erick van Egeraat to further develop his plans for the Városháza Forum project in the heart of Budapest. After his design won the international architect competition last year, the decision of today signifies the most important step towards realization of this multi-million project. "This really is good news for everyone involved, especially for the Hungarian members of my team who can now finally complete the work we started last year", says Dutch architect Erick van Egeraat. "A project of this scale means jobs for many people, in this case both in Hungary and in the Netherlands, which is obviously of vital importance in these times of economic downturn." Városháza Forum Budapest Images © Designed by Erick van Egeraat The assignment of Erick van Egeraat to this ambitious project in Hungary was interrupted by the general economic crisis. "The insolvency of my Budapest office was eventually unavoidable and very unfortunate. It not only cost a lot of money, but many of my staff lost their jobs in the process. After a cautious start early this year, I am now carefully rebuilding my new company. The fact that I can now already expand even further is quite exceptional, considering the current investment climate." The efficacy of the municipality and assistance of the Netherlands Embassy made it possible to ensure the continuity of the project. Erick van Egeraat's new company Designed by Erick van Egeraat and partner EMEM IOB expect this assignment to yield a lot of work for the next 4 to 5 years. The building permit is expected to come through before the end of the year. After that, preparations for construction will start with the actual development of the project scheduled to commence in 2010. Covering over 100.000 square meters and with an estimated construction budget of around 150 million Euros it is among the largest projects in the Central European region. The Városháza Fórum project is currently unique in its kind in Europe. In Erick van Egeraat's plans the 18th century baroque Városháza Forum will be re-used in its entirety and directly connected to the two most important metro lines in the city. The project provides Budapest with the opportunity to realize one of the most sustainable urban redevelopment plans in Europe. Besides the extensive restoration of the existing complex a mix of functions will be realized at the site which has been derelict for nearly 300 years. In order to ensure around the clock activity in the part of town called Pest, the complex will include a hotel, a cultural forum, offices, retail, cafés and four public squares. Budapest Városháza Forum images / information from Erick van Egeraat 270509