Built more than 120 years ago, the market hall at Hunyadi tér near Oktogon has just reopened after a major overhaul. The façade has regained its original design, with ox and pigs’ heads standing out amid the stucco.
Budapest’s local market halls have been renovated one after the other in recent years. On Hold utca, for example, the Downtown Market is now a hub of street food and quality dining. The system of market halls around the Hungarian capital was developed at the end of the 19th century, when the food supply for the rapidly expanding population became increasingly problematic.
On Hunyadi tér, a market hall was built in 1897, on a site where open-air stalls once stood. The architect, Győző Czigler, was also responsible for the market on Hold utca and the Széchenyi Baths. Hunyadi tér is now a historic monument and has been renovated in line with Czigler’s original design, with 200 window frames of wood and metal.
Around the outside, along with the aforementioned oxen and pigs, satyrs and lions oversee the bustle around the square. The exterior is also a more subdued colour, a sandy brown replacing the previous lively Habsburg yellow. The heating and air-conditioning systems have also been refurbished.
