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PHOTOS: Stunning castle of Buda Castle District to take on its final appearance soon
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The Buda Castle District (Budavári Palotanegyed) is one of the many gems of the country, loved by citizens and tourists alike. However, its buildings are not very new: they often need renovations and restorations. The Red Cross headquarters (Vöröskereszt-székház) is no exception. The exterior of the new Red Cross headquarters will take its original form this year, and the building will serve as an office.
History of the Red Cross headquarters
The Red Cross Society bought the building complex in the Buda Castle District at 1-2 Dísz Square in 1900. The magnificent headquarters was designed by two important architects of the time, Alajos Hauszmann and Dezső Hültl, the National Hauszmann Programme wrote on its Facebook page.
Standing on the southeast corner of the square, the palace was an integral part of the Castle District’s skyline until the end of World War II. Although it could have been salvaged after the war and despite the wartime shelling, politicians at the time decided to demolish it completely in 1946. For decades, a neglected lot stood in its place, where an unpretentious flea market operated.
During the siege of Budapest, the building was severely damaged, taking a direct hit. Part of its slabs collapsed, burying many objects of daily use. These were found during an archaeological excavation in 2020, along with an unexploded bomb, PestBuda wrote. The reconstruction of the building started in 2021.
