INSPIRED BY THE PAST, BUILT FOR THE FUTURE

By Ildiko Rezmuves, Timea Nemeth - 28 March 2018

Budapest’s entire downtown area is a classified Unesco World Heritage Site, including the central 5th District, the banks of the River Danube and its bridges, the Buda Castle quarter and the full length of Andrássy Avenue running from St. Stephen’s Basilica all the way to Heroes’ Square. This article provides a snapshot of these top priority urban planning areas, introducing recently completed or planned development projects in the CBD (central business district) of the Hungarian capital. We consulted with development and construction companies and interviewed architects and political figures whose joint initiatives and actions impact the urban fabric, with common goals calling for a cross-pollination of ideas. 5th District Mayor Péter Szentgyörgyvölgyi pointed out the importance of cooperation and coordinated action between the public and private sectors: “The fact that the entire downtown Budapest area is protected as a Unesco World Heritage Site is a reason to be proud, but it also comes with great responsibility. As a Municipality, preserving the cultural values of our historic built environment - while also promoting new developments - is our mandate and ongoing duty. The success of our collaboration with private investors and market players active in our district lies in the joint vision of only initiating top quality architectural developments that fit in with the unique characteristics of the district”. Although recent history has also left its mark on many parts of the city, the old town center remained the hub of urban life through several socio-economic periods and changes. While holding world-renowned historical value, the core of Budapest also faces contemporary and future challenges. What most residents and visitors of Budapest now take for granted is the result of far-reaching development projects that have revitalized the existing building stock and repositioned underutilized assets,...