Reconstruction of the West Wing of the Esterházy Castle, Fertőd

When catching a glimpse of the Esterháza castle the visitor is spellbound by the symbiosis of unity and grandeur. The majestic inner court and the median risalit flaunts a range of characteristics typical of the Baroque and Rococo. Our design task involved the west wing, which in its entiritiy functions as a gallery. The entrance hall gives access to the picture gallery and a series of rooms in the horseshoe-wing that host the temporary exhibitions. The gallery’s ceiling was inspired by the barrel-valuted technique. Its surface is divided into rectangular coffered panels, in which the sky often appears as the background of paintings. The horseshoe wing’s exciting enfilade incorporates the restored octagonal porcelain room, re-establishing the sequence of spaces. The walls have been painted with motifs recovered during preliminary wall investigations. Our plan takes elements of baroque architecture, distills, and remodels them to fit a contemporary design while paying tribute to the past.