It’s now 18 years since a ballerina gracefully whirled across the floor of the former Ballet Institute. Standing right opposite the Opera House, this historic building – once the Drechsler Palace – offers a heart-wrenching sight, completely abandoned, its walls crumbling and unsightly graffiti scribbled across its façade. After years of uncertainty regarding the dormant building’s future, promising design plans for a luxury hotel have just been revealed by Hungarian architecture blog Építészfórum.
In its early days, the Drechsler Palace functioned as a luxurious apartment building that complemented the architectural ensemble of grandiose Andrássy út.
For a detailed history of this landmark, see here.
The ravages of time then affected the creation of renowned 19th-century architects Ödön Lechner and Gyula Pártos, including the original blueprints. The designers at Bánáti + Hartvig have successfully overcome these obstacles to put forward their reconstruction plans.
Their primary goal was to preserve the architectural heritage of the building while introducing functions serving modern-day needs. Sorely needed technological modernisation will be carried out in accordance with strict architectural conservation guidelines.
Guests arriving from Andrássy út will enter the elegant hotel lounge. Above, a glass atrium will cover the central courtyard, from which several passages will branch off to various rooms and facilities. The reception area, the lobby and communal areas will be housed on the ground floor. A hotel spa will operate at basement level, with spanking new bars and restaurants also on site.
The mansard is the ideal height for the addition of a fifth storey. The building also has a hidden, little-known courtyard covered by a glass roof, whose dome-like structure will give visitors the impression of floating in an iridescent soap bubble.
