KLUSTER’s modern building holds a special place not only in today’s work culture but also in the history of the city. The story of the site, researched by Csaba Domonkos, reveals that until the late 1960s one of Budapest’s oldest houses stood here, originally built in 1780 and later remodelled in 1864 based on the plans of Károly Hild (the nephew of József Hild). The building once housed a photography studio, but its condition gradually deteriorated after World War II and it was eventually demolished. During a renovation in 1872, however, a fragment of Pest’s medieval city wall had been built into its structure — a discovery that later complicated the development of the plot. Finally, in 1986 an office building was constructed on the site, and remnants of the old city wall can still be found on the lower level today.
Since then, the office building has had several tenants, including the Budapest development centre of Skyscanner. It was around this time that one of KLUSTER’s founders, Áron Levendel, first noticed the building’s unique character and excellent location. With a background in economics and organisational development, Áron made his way into the world of real estate and co-working spaces. In 2012, together with Elvira Kalmár and Dóri Pekár, he founded KAPTÁR , Hungary’s very first co-working office. Now, as co-founder and managing director of the newly opened KLUSTER, he has teamed up – in a special partnership – with Optinvest Zrt.
The concept of co-working offices began in San Francisco in 2006, gradually responding to the demand for spaces that were more than just stylishly furnished workstations with comfy chairs and fast internet. The vision was to create places that also foster genuine connections and networking. From an international perspective, Áron and his partners were among the very first to step into this scene — without even being aware of the few existing examples abroad. As he recalls:
At the time, this type of office was so new that we even had to come up with the Hungarian term to describe what it actually was. That’s how the expression közösségi iroda — or co-working office — was born, and it later became widely used.
Although in recent years Budapest has become less attractive to digital nomads — with the war next door and inflation making it no longer the bargain city it once was — KAPTÁR has had no reason to complain. This is one of the reasons Áron decided to expand. He recalls that from the very beginning it was clear that people came to these spaces with very different needs. Some were looking to escape the loneliness of working from home and wanted a buzzing community space, while others — often parents with small children — needed a quiet environment to focus. From the start, Áron and his team aimed to create spaces that could cater to both, just as they did with KAPTÁR.
The Covid era made one thing clear: not everyone wants to work from nine to five at a fixed desk. Different forms of hybrid working have since become widely accepted — not only meaning more time spent in home offices, but also that online meetings and phone calls have often replaced face-to-face encounters. Spaces, therefore, had to be optimised accordingly. For smaller companies and teams, adapting the traditional co-working model can provide an alternative that supports networking and cost-effective operation, while also improving the utilisation of office buildings. So how does this all play out in practice at KLUSTER?
A Creative Team Hub in Central Budapest
KLUSTER has introduced a new concept to the world of co-working: the team house. The aim is to offer more than just a place to work.
A good co-working office isn’t just about the hardware — it also has a software side. Beyond comfortable furniture, stylish design, and ergonomically designed spaces, it offers services that help people build a real community, where collaboration can flourish not only within teams but also between different companies.
– Áron explains that workshops, business events, and courses will help KLUSTER’s residents not only work alongside each other but also truly collaborate. In addition, the membership system has been designed to better fit the needs of teams: companies can rent a space for just one or two days a week, or even take over an entire floor if they’re larger.
Free coffee, snack breaks, and a zen zone with city views
Áron explains that when designing the spaces, their aim was to mirror the layered structure of a community — because not everyone wants to take part in workplace life to the same extent. Some people are the heart and soul of the community, others perform best when they can concentrate, and sometimes all you need is a good coffee and a free desk to quickly open your laptop between two meetings. KLUSTER offers solutions for everyone. Soon, a café will open on the ground floor, making the building accessible to the wider city as well — a place for semi-formal meetings or simply to unwind with a drink after work.
On the top floor you’ll find the café and community space, where unlimited coffee and snacks are available, and there’s even a foosball table to make you feel like you’re in a big tech company. The highlight of the space is the abundance of greenery and the fully glazed façade with its balcony, offering superb views over Astoria and the rooftop terrace of the Georgia House — once a filming location for Brad Pitt.
Further down you’ll find the Zen Room, where special soundproofing and adjustable lighting allow you to shut out the outside world and work in your own rhythm with full focus. The office floors have been designed to provide an ideal workplace for teams of 2–10 people, but digital nomads and freelancers are also well catered for, with plenty of space in an inspiring environment. There are both large and small meeting rooms, plus a 50-person event hall, along with 12 meeting rooms and 18 soundproof booths — all supported by dedicated fibre-optic internet.
Today, more and more entrepreneurs believe that a pleasant working environment is key to their employees’ wellbeing — and ultimately to the success of the company. KLUSTER fits right into this new mindset, offering a home to businesses that share the same values. And the good news is, we too can join this vibrant community in a stylish, well-located, modern office.
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(Cover photo: KLUSTER)
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