A refurbished public space above the Ecseri út metro station in Budapest’s 9th district was formally opened on Friday afternoon, and has been renamed Mester Árpád Square.
Renewed square inaugurated in Budapest
Speaking at the ceremony, Transport and Investment Minister Dávid Vitézy said the renewal of such public spaces was far from a purely local matter. The quality of major transport hubs and squares used by tens of thousands each day, he argued, is central to the overall quality of life in the capital. “Are these places where people are inclined to linger, meet and feel at ease,” he asked, “or places they hurry through as quickly as possible, spending as little time there as they can?”
He added that while there had been successful urban renewals — citing the transformation of Moszkva tér, now Széll Kálmán tér — there were “nowhere near enough” such projects, and many more would be needed.
Mr Vitézy noted that developments of this kind not only improve residents’ quality of life but also enhance surrounding property values, adding that the scheme had been completed at a cost equivalent to “a single day’s fee for a motorway concessionaire”.
Proud on released EU funds
He stressed the importance of upgrading similar transport interchanges, including areas around railway and long-distance bus stations.
He also recalled that a decision had been taken earlier on Friday to release €10 billion in funding to Hungary, enabling the next phase of the Southern Circular Railway development to proceed. As part of that programme, a significant suburban rail stop will be created at Népliget, strengthening the area’s transport links — making the renewal of the interchange a matter of regional and national importance.
Inviting public space
Budapest’s mayor, Gergely Karácsony, said it was vital that the “very bleak” area had been transformed. The redevelopment, he said, had created an “inviting public space” where people would sit, gather, and begin to rebuild the social connections “that are painfully lacking in the city”.
He described the József Attila housing estate as one of Budapest’s most liveable and human-centred residential districts, yet noted that residents had long been forced to pass through an “unworthy gateway” on their way to the metro.
Karácsony also praised district mayor Krisztina Baranyi and her team for delivering the project despite considerable difficulties. He expressed the view that many similarly neglected public spaces across Budapest should be “awakened from their long slumber”, and voiced hope that closer cooperation between central government, the capital and district councils could usher in a new golden age for the city.
Generous green space and gently curving streets
Baranyi explained that the József Attila estate had been built in the 1950s on the site of a former slum, based on the plans of Árpád Mester. The newly redesigned square, she said, echoes Mester’s innovative vision, with generous green space and gently curving streets. However, since the metro station opened in 1980, the square had remained unchanged and had become one of Ferencváros’s most neglected and dispiriting public spaces.
Although the reconstruction of Metro Line 3 did not include the square, the district council decided in 2021 to finance its renewal from its own resources, consulting local residents in the process. She added that, at the end of 2023, Socialist and Democratic Coalition councillors — with the backing of Fidesz representatives — voted not to provide the necessary funding. A newly elected council in 2024 subsequently resolved to proceed with the project.
As part of the redevelopment, green space was increased by 35 per cent — nearly 1,100 square metres — with more than 70 trees and some 13,000 shrubs and perennials planted. A well-known dolphin fountain, formerly located outside the Pest-Buda cinema, has also been relocated to the square. Four new pavilions of uniform design have been built, housing six commercial units and public lavatories.
Photos, video: Budapest’s storied Dunapark Café to reopen its doors in weeks
Surveillance cameras protect passers-by
The square has been designed to be open and permeable, yet sufficiently calm to draw people away from the bustle and encourage them to linger, the mayor said. It now features 16 benches, 24 bicycle stands, 16 litter bins and two bus stop shelters. There are 44 street lamps, and the area is covered by surveillance cameras. The project cost a net 1.3 billion forints, funded by the district council.
At its May session, the Budapest General Assembly approved the naming of the newly created square after Árpád Mester, the urban planner and architect, at the initiative of the district council. Mester was awarded the Ybl Miklós Prize in 1961 for his urban design plans for the Üllői út housing estate — of which the Ferencváros section forms the József Attila estate — then regarded as exemplary for their modern solutions. The square above Ecseri út station serves as the inner-city gateway to the district he designed.
Astonishing late Baroque Teleki Palace to be refurbished – photos
