The Drechsler Palace stands as one of Budapest’s emblematic historic buildings, showcasing the stylistic characteristics of the French Renaissance. Constructed in the late 19th century to the design of Ödön Lechner, the palace’s history has been marked by various phases. Unfortunately, in 2002, it fell into disuse, leading to rapid deterioration of its condition. Consequently, the timing for its reconstruction became crucial. Last year, it reopened as part of the W hotel chain.
Apart from the primary goal of preserving and reconstructing the building’s architectural merits, the design work aimed to fulfill the expectations of form and technical requirements inherent in a design-oriented luxury hotel. These criteria were interdependent, creating expressions of form that mutually reinforced the historical values and contemporary architectural solutions. In this manner, the building remained faithful to the open, experimental spirit of Ödön Lechner.
Credits
Architecture
Bánáti + Hartvig Architects Ltd.; Béla Bánáti, Judit Zajacz, Szabolcs Lénárt, Bodó Bánáti, András Csiha, Gergő Kádár, Lilla Pusztai, Ákos Szécsi, Norbert Szilágyi, Gergő Szloboda, Tamás Ferencz, János Kacsó, Éva Kátai, Péter Márkus, Annamária Márton, Daniel Ritter, Trinh Hai Dang, Zoltán Vass
Client
QPR Properties Ltd.
Year of completion
2023
Location
Budapest, Hungary
Total area
15.875 m2
Site area
2.702 m2
Photos
Tamás Bujnovszky
Project Partners
Reconstruction: Korinterni Ltd.; Kornél Baliga
Decorative tinworks design: Péter Birghoffer
Glass structure: Stokplan Ltd.; György Stocker, MDRS Ltd.; Botond Madaras
Supporting structure: Reticolo Ltd.; Csaba Kovács, Bálint Trombitás
Restoration: Alakart Ltd.; Gergely Kelecsényi, Áron Sándor
Heritage experts, architectural heritage inventory and scientific documentation, art historian: András Hadik, Zoltán Fehérvári
Interior design: BJB (Bowler James Brindley Studio)
General designer: Ian Bayliss, Stephane Reanud
Working drawing and project monitoring: DVM Group Ltd., Kroki Stúdio
Interior lighting: ARTEC3; Ana Ayala
Building service engineering: Temesvári Tervező Ltd.; László Temesvári, József Nagy, Ákos Tóth
Electrical installation, heavy current: Provill Ltd.; Zoltán Ivanics, Attila Nagy
Light current: Complex IT Ltd.; Olivér Nagy
Building construction: Frt Raszter Ltd.; Balázs Takács, Tamás Szutor
Fire safety: Takács-Tetra Ltd.; Lajos Takács, Attila Zsitva
Sprinkler system: Dunamenti Tűzőr Ltd.; András Hajdú, Veronika Temesvári, Levente Soós
Building automation: Welltech Ltd.; Péter Nagy
Facade lighting: Rió Lámpastúdió; János Perness, DESIGN AND LIGHT Ltd.; János Farkas
Acoustics: ’95 Apszis BT.; Róbert Csott
Landscaping: Város_Teampannon Ltd.; Lajos Koszorú, Bálint Koszorú, Péter Marosi
Traffic engineering: Főmterv Mérnöki Tervező Ltd.; Éva Kovács, Roland Beller
General construction: DVM Group
Site: Swietelsky Magyarország Ltd.
Project management: Habitat Management Ltd., Artelia/ Addval Group Ltd.
