At the beginning of last year, we published a detailed article examining developments in the capital, and as usual, we're returning this January to assess the upcoming projects. Change is not inherently negative, nor does it always come with demolition, and this year will see several projects with the potential to positively shape Budapest. The Ministry of Finance and the Red Cross Society headquarters are expected to open this year, and the renovation of the Schöpf-Merei Hospital will begin. We are hopeful that the People's Park development will reach completion soon, and that the Rác Thermal Bath will also be finished this year. However, there remains no news regarding the renovation of the Museum of Applied Arts, and the future of the Körszálló, Budapest's distinctive circular hotel, remains uncertain.
Transport and urban greening
Turning our attention to transport and urban greening, this year promises significant developments. Thanks to the LIFE Biodiverse City tender, work can begin on the rehabilitation of the Mocsáros wetland, the Tétényi plateau, and the Őrmező district. With the General Assembly's adoption of the People's Park action plan at the end of 2024, the path is clear for the renewal of the Mutatványosok tere-Nagyvendéglő axis public park and the preparation of the FŐKERT site. This autumn should also see the transformation of the Pest quay, with the viaduct alongside the Jane Haining quay and several quay sections undergoing renewal. Progress on Városháza Park is also anticipated.
The renewal of Flórián tér and its surrounding area will commence this year, encompassing not only the flyover's renovation but also extensive tree planting. Given Óbuda's rich archaeological heritage, any excavation works deeper than 40 cm will need collaboration with the Heritage Protection Service. This afforestation project will involve planting 23 new trees and establishing approximately 154 square metres of perennial cover. Concurrently, plans are being formulated for the city's first groundwater well, with drilling scheduled for this year.
In Csillaghegy, on the outskirts of the 3rd district, a unique initiative is underway: a victim protection trail, conceived by the local primary school, will be established to raise awareness of specific forms of child abuse, domestic abuse, and cyberbullying. Following last year's competition focused on replacing concrete with greenery, this year will see the creation of verdant central islands at three key road junctions: two in Buda and one in Pest. These will be located at the Buda end of Margaret Bridge, the intersection of Alkotás utca and Krisztina körút, and the intersection of Fogarasi út and Kerepesi út.
Further afield, expansion works at Liszt Ferenc International Airport are set to begin, with the construction of Terminal 3 now confirmed and earthworks already in progress. The renewal of downtown Türr István utca is expected to be completed in the autumn, encompassing pavement renewal, the introduction of new green areas and trees, and the implementation of a speed limit. Furthermore, a planted public space will be created at the junction of Régi Posta utca and Apáczai Csere János utca, with the Hermes Fountain, currently located in front of the old Fontana department store, being relocated there. These works are also expected to commence in the autumn.
Reconstructions of monuments
The number of monument reconstructions in the city has been increasing for years, and this year will see a further increase. Semmelweis University's Hőgyes-Schöpf-Merei project has received planning permission, so the renovation of the Schöpf-Merei Hospital, which has been in disrepair for years, will begin this year, turning it into a Centre for Pharmaceutical Research. The renovation of the Klösz Villa is expected to be completed this year and is currently being used as the Hungarian Museum of Photography. By October this year, the renovation of 2Vámház körút near the Great Market Hall could be completed; according to the latest information, it will be a 36-room hotel.
This year, the cleaning and restoration of the exterior facade of the Klotild Palace will be completed, and it will also receive decorative lighting in harmony with the Matild Palace, and should be near completion by the end of the year. Structural demolition of Hotel Gellért will be completed this year, and the general construction of the building can continue. And on Király utca, a fairly significant monument reconstruction is underway: the block at 25, 27, and 29 Király utca, which has been left derelict for many years, is being restored to its original state in accordance with heritage protection regulations and is currently being searched for the future function of the buildings. The renovation and redevelopment of the Körszálló will certainly start this year, but the exact concept is not yet known, so it is not certain whether the building will need to be demolished and, if so, how much. It has also emerged that the Corvin Palace on Blaha Lujza tér will not only be home to a Time Out Market this year but also an 181-room hotel, which is due to open in 2026.
Major investments
Both the Southern and Northern City Gate projects are expected to be launched this year after both sites were acquired by Hungarian owners last year. The two sites are currently under study, with residential and recreational potential for the neighbourhoods under review, but the possibility of building a concert venue and indoor events centre has also been raised. The planning and authorisation process is expected to be completed by the end of 2025, with construction starting in 2026. The Northern City Gate, located in the capital's 3rd district, will cover an area of almost 35 hectares, while the Southern City Gate, located about 12 kilometres from Liszt Ferenc International Airport, will cover 16 hectares.
Construction of the Pázmány Campus Project could start in the second half of 2025 after the demolition of the former Hungarian Radio buildings is completed. The new campus of the Károli Gáspár Reformed University will be built in the Corvin area; a contract was signed at the beginning of the year, so planning can start soon, with completion expected in May 2026.
Hungary's second airport hotel, the TRIBE Budapest Airport Hotel, located within walking distance of Terminal 2, is expected to be completed and open in the second quarter of the year. The hotel will open as a twin building to the Ibis Styles Hotel, which was opened in 2018, and will offer 167 rooms.
It was announced earlier this year that a residential complex of 324 apartments will be built next to Vizafogó Park, with a hotel to be built in the Parkside Residence area. A residential project will also be launched in the 11th district this year: the 141-apartment Andor Liget project will see the DVM Group redeveloping an old industrial site. The construction of the Monori Center in rural Kőbánya will also start this year. The area, which is currently a commercial centre, is being rethought from an urban and architectural point of view, with new commercial, service and hospitality uses, as well as residential and student accommodation functions, while retaining the current function.
For some time, there have been indications that the buildings bordering the Great Synagogue in the Jewish Quarter were slated for renovation; this year, these renovations will finally commence, alongside the construction of a new 153-apartment building and an underground car park on the adjacent vacant plot. At 10 Dohány utca and 8-10 Síp utca, there were previously plans to build luxury apartment blocks and a gateway building with cafés and shops selling Jewish-related goods, but the 2008 crisis swept the project away.
In the Castle District, the former Red Cross Headquarters, part of the National Hauszmann Programme, was rebuilt by the end of 2024 and will open this year once interior work is finished. Reconstructions continue on the Former Honvéd High Command, Archduke Joseph's Palace, and the northern wing of Buda Castle. Szent György tér will also be renovated this year, and the Danube-side road leading to Keleti station will be completed.
(Cover photo: The Klotild Palace under renovation, Ladóczki Balázs - We Love Budapest)
