Reconstruction works have already started at the 5-star hotel Sofitel Budapest Chain Bridge. It involves the demolition of some of its walls, letting us catch a glimpse of the hotel rooms.

Sofitel, one of the most iconic hotels on the Danube Promenade, opened its doors in 1982 under the name Atrium Hyatt Szálló. It has ten floors and 365 rooms, which will be out of service for a while. The hotel is getting a revamp inside and out (the works have already started): seven new elevators and two escalators will be installed, the rooms and communal areas will get redecorated, and a new terrace and a rooftop bar will be created. We will have to bid farewell to the impossible-to-miss windows on the facade, however, the geometric approach remains: massive glass walls will cover the hotel's front and sides with circular windows inspired by the op art of Victor Vasarely.

We have no information on the reopening, but expecting years of work is a safe bet. The refurbishment is overseen by the international architecture practice Asymptote Architecture and the Hungarian Bánáti + Hartvig Építész Iroda. In the meantime, take a look at what is happening now.