The construction works of the Tisza Bridge of the M44 motorway are progressing well. Duna Aszfalt, the company carrying out the construction, shared a spectacular video about the progress of the bridge, the structure of which is unique in Europe.
According to Origo, last November marked a milestone in the construction of the bridge because the two parts of the bridge finally met in the centre. The construction project is related to the construction of the 10-kilometre section of the M44 road between Lakitelek and Tiszakürt, which will be implemented with the investment of Nemzeti Infrastruktúra Fejlesztő Zrt. (National Infrastructure Development Inc.).
What makes the bridge in Tiszaug special is its unique structure, of which no other has been built in Europe so far, and only a few similar ones exist in the world.
The total length of the bridge is 556 metres, of which a 307-metre-long section provides traffic over the river.
The contractor published a video about the works of the specially designed bridge:
The pylons have a deformed elliptical shape, which makes the appearance of the bridge very unique. The structure is reminiscent of a covered wagon. The bridge deck will be attached to the pylons with a fan-shaped free cable arrangement. The final height of the bridge pylons will be 41.6 meters.
Housing completions in Hungary rose by 33.5 percent to 28,208 in 2020, an eleven-year record, the Central Statistical Office (KSH) said on Wednesday.
But the number of home-building permits issued dropped by 35.8 percent to 22,556, continuing a decline started after the phase-out of a preferential VAT rate in force between 2016 and 2019.
Meanwhile, lawmakers have approved a two-year reduction in the home construction VAT rate to 5 percent from 27 percent from the start of 2021 as part of government measures to aid the economic recovery from the coronavirus crisis.
The number of homes completed in the capital rose by 8.6 percent to 6,341, while the number completed in county seats and cities with populations of over 50,000 jumped by 55.3 percent to 7,900. Housing completions in smaller cities increased by 31.1 percent to 7,779.
Minister of Finance Mihály Varga, in a video message posted social media, welcomed the 34 percent growth in housing units in a single year, noting that growth had been strong in all geographical areas.
Homes built by private individuals accounted for half of the total,
Varga noted, indicating the effectiveness of the government’s home-creation scheme.
The government expects the home-creation scheme expanded earlier this year together with a reduction in VAT on housing construction to 5 percent to give an added boost to construction and help restart the economy, he said.
The last element, namely the new track of the southern connecting Railway Bridge, has been floated up on the Danube and will be placed in its final position over the weekend. The key element of the development of the Southern Circuit will then continue with the replacement of the two existing tracks.
Phot: www.facebook.com/vitezydavid
“The last bridge element of the new, third track of the southern connecting Railway Bridge will be in its place this weekend, so it is worth stopping and admiring this monumental work for a few photos,” writes Dávid Vitézy on his Facebook post.
Dávid Vitézy, the CEO of the Budapest Development Centre (BFK), shared that the following steps will be the replacement of the two existing tracks after finishing the new track. These are also floated on the Danube and will be lifted into their place from below when the time comes.
Photo: www.facebook.com/vitezydavid
“The third track of the Southern Circuit will run through the new bridge structure from spring 2021,”
writes Vitézy. The replacement of the two existing bridges will also be carried out by Duna Aszfalt, commissioned by Nemzeti Infrastruktúra Fejlesztő Zrt. The track replacement will be completed by 2022. Thanks to the ongoing development, not only will the bridge in poor condition be renovated, but it will also be expanded from two to three tracks. The Southern Circuit is also becoming increasingly important for suburban traffic in Budapest, and it is one of the most important crossing points on the Danube, too.
Photo: www.facebook.com/vitezydavid
The investment includes the construction of new train stops.
“Thanks to the development of the Southern Circuit, new stops will be built, which will also provide the missing metro connection to the metro line M4 in Kelenföld and the metro line M3 at Népliget station and, hopefully, the metro line M5 in the future. It gives a full connection to anyone who would like to reach the downtown of Budapest or almost any destination across the city centre,” sums up Dávid Vitézy.
Photo: www.facebook.com/vitezydavid
According to the plans, a minimum of 6 suburban passenger trains will run per hour on the line in different directions, possibly 8-10 during peak hours. This will provide a fast, convenient connection between the capital of Hungary, the outer districts, and the agglomeration.
In the summer, visitors can enjoy several types of beaches around the Hungarian Sea, including free beaches, eco-beaches, naturist beaches, children’s beaches, beaches that welcome dogs, adventure parks and numerous tailor-made spas. However, recently a new kind of architectural approach, a more eco-friendly idea has been born on Lake Balaton’s shores.
Last autumn, the Department of Architecture of the Hungarian Academy of Arts – together with the local government – announced a competition for the development of the Balaton shore areas of Keszthely. As a result of the tender, an epoch-making idea was born by the architects Péter Hámori and Sándor Guba.
Even though the tender targeted the development of the 4,000 m2 wellness, entertainment and commercial development of the centre of Lake Balaton, according to the Hungarian architects, a different approach is needed. Accordingly, human intervention should aim to protect the natural habitat of the Hungarian Sea, which is one of the most popular domestic destinations among Hungarians.
the focus of their idea is the restoration of the natural protection zone of Lake Balaton,
the expansion of wooded, bushy habitats dotted with reeds. They would build arid, dry and wet meadows with internal lakes. In simple terms, they would rebuild it similarly as it could have been in the past.
Within the framework of their eco-friendly idea, the zone between the railway and the shore of Lake Balaton would be a car-free zone. It could only be driven by human-powered vehicles (bicycles, segways). The zigzagging, winding waterfront would be much longer (1.8 kilometres instead of the current 500 meters). The new beach would be free. This would also respond to the exclusionary phenomenon of open beaches closing one after the other across Lake Balaton.
The lost revenues would be replaced by water sports equipment rental, massage and sauna pavilion operation under the municipality’s authority.
The few service pavilions (washbasin, changing room, sauna, hot tub, mud therapy) would be built from the material of demolished buildings and slides, reducing construction waste.
This kind of approach already worked in several European countries, such as France, on the river Maine banks. According to the architects, every element of their plan is feasible, and they are glad that there was a great interest in their idea. Now they are looking for a location and a venturous municipality on Lake Balaton’s shores that support their environment-friendly idea to be realised.
Output of Hungary’s construction sector edged down 0.3 percent year-on-year in December, the Central Statistical Office (KSH) said on Monday.
Output of the buildings segment climbed 15.1 percent, but civil engineering output dropped 16.5 percent.
In absolute terms, construction sector output reached 482.8 billion forints (EUR 1.3bn) in December, including 285.6 billion forints in the buildings segment and 197.2 billion forints for civil engineering.
For the full year, construction sector output dropped 9.1 percent, as the buildings segment contracted 5.7 percent and civil engineering output declined 13.1 percent.
In absolute terms, construction sector output came to 4,270.4 billion forints. Building segment output reached 2,414.8 billion forints and civil engineering output 1,855.6 billion forints.
As we wrote today, construction work on the roof structure of Budapest’s Nyugati (Western) Railway station has been completed; the railway station will reopen in September, state-owned railway company MÁV said, photos HERE.
Construction work on the roof structure of Budapest’s Nyugati (Western) Railway station has been completed; the railway station will reopen in September, state-owned railway company MÁV said on Sunday.
As part of the project, the roof of the train shed, the adjoining glass structures, the cash register hall, the fast food restaurant and six facade towers are being renovated across 8,200sqms.
At both ends of the building, on a total of 2,200sqms, the glass curtain wall will be completely new, and the other roof sections of the station building that have not been renovated so far will also be repaired. Rainwater drainage will be partially rebuilt, and a new digital passenger information system and an overhead line network will be installed in the train shed, MÁV said in the statement.
MÁV is carrying out further passenger service and accessibility developments using government and EU funds, replacing the entire paved area in and around the station, renewing the passenger areas of the cross tunnel, replacing the currently out-of-service lift, setting up ramps, and building a footpath with tactile paving for the blind and partially sighted, the statement said.
It is not just the renewal of the roof structure that is the only exciting news about the Nyugati Railway Station. 444.hu reports that the National Circus Arts Centre will be built next to the train station.
“Next to the Nyugati Railway Station, in one part of a long-standing area, the circus will be built, in the other half of the Baross Imre Artist Training Institute, Art High School, Grammar School and Elementary Dance School,”
Photo: www.kormany.hu
said the Ministry of Human Resources, Secretary of State for Culture. The students of the artist training are currently studying in different places such as flats and cellars. Péter Fekete added that “the additional professions of circus art, including the training of lighting and sound technicians and stage masters, will be studied in a new place.”
The construction of the centre has been declared a priority investment from the national economy aspect. According to Péter Fekete, circus art is the only branch of art in which Hungary is in the top five worldwide, and this justifies the establishment of the most serious circus art centre in Europe.
The Budapest municipal council will begin the upgrade of the Danube embankments by renovating the section of the Pest embankment between Kossuth Square and Margaret Bridge, Gergely Karácsony, the city’s mayor, said on Friday.
Because the original plans for the upgrade which were submitted early last year had reflected the ideas of the previous Budapest administration, the project has had to be redesigned, Karácsony said on Facebook.
The new plans include a wider sidewalk and a longer section of road with reduced traffic. The guardrail will be removed from the side of the road and trees will be planted in its place, Karácsony said.
A 4-5 metre wide pedestrian path will be installed and the speed limit on that section of the embankment will be reduced by 30 kph, the mayor said.
The design of the pedestrian path will fit the look of the embankment section in front of Parliament and 35 trees will be planted along the path.
To make room for the pedestrian path, the exit lane at Marko Street will also have to be modified in line with monument protection regulations, Karácsony said.
Due to a lack of room for a bicycle path within the project, cyclists will have to continue using the upper embankment, he said.
The municipal council on Friday invited public procurement tenders for the project, Karacsony said, adding that construction was scheduled to begin in June and end on Dec. 31 this year.
Bidders for the project have until March 17 to submit their offers, the Budapest Mayor’s Office said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Balázs Fürjes, the state secretary in charge of development projects in and around Budapest, said the government is contributing 787 million forints (EUR 2.2m) to the project under a decision by the municipal public development council.
“Our goal is clear: renovating the embankment and building a pedestrian path on the bank of the banks of the Danube,” Fürjes said on Facebook.
“This means that this section would connect to the Jaszai Mari Square section [of the embankment] from the north and to Kossuth Lajos Square in front of Parliament from the south.”
Both sections had been built using government funding over the last ten years, he said, adding that the new project “shows that our commitment to keep developing Budapest hasn’t changed”.
The technical details of the project were finalised by the public development council last year, he said, adding that cooperation between City Hall and the Budapest Development Centre had been strong ever since.
Talks are still ongoing between the government and the municipal council on the financing of upgrade of the embankment section extending to Blaha Lujza Square, Furjes said.
Hungary will complete the missing section of the pipeline through which Azerbaijani gas is set to arrive in the country, Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Péter Szijjártó said on Thursday.
Addressing an online session of the ministerial advisory panel of the Southern Gas Corridor, Szijjártó called gas supply a national security issue for Hungary, and confirmed his government’s commitment to diversification both in terms of sources and supply lines.
The minister hailed the completion of the Southern Gas Corridor and called for the soonest possible construction of the missing national sections in Europe. The Serbian section between the Hungarian and Bulgarian borders is already in place, he said, and he called for the section between Bulgaria and Greece to be completed as soon as possible.
Szijjártó welcomed the potential to increase the corridor’s capacity and deliver new Azeri sources of supply in 2023.
The minister has instructed Hungary’s electricity and gas works to start talks with Azeri oil company Socar on the contractual arrangements by which Hungary can buy Azeri gas.
Szijjártó also welcomed the new cooperation agreement signed with Turkmenistan on joint prospecting projects on the Caspian Sea, which may pave the way for additional gas supplies through the corridor.
The minister noted that Hungarian oil and gas company MOL is the biggest central European investor in Azerbaijan, and holds the third biggest portfolio in Azeri-Chiraw-Gunashli, that country’s biggest gas field.
According to the plans of the Museum of Transport, the main attraction of the new museum exhibition space, which will be created with the complete renovation and expansion of the station building, will be a plotting board of hundreds of square metres, which will complement the railway exhibition.
Szeretlekmagyarorszag.hu reports that the Transport Museum got the opportunity to save the crumbling building. The aim is not only to make the building more beautiful but also to give back its function. Dávid Vitézy, a city mobility expert, was the first to report on the news on his Facebook page.
Photo: www.facebook.om/vitezydavid
“Last night, a regulation was issued by the government that classified the renovation of the Kelenföld station building as a priority investment following the plans prepared by the Transport Museum and arranged for securing the building permits and the announcement of a public procurement contract,” writes Vitézy. He then notes in his post that the result of the complete refurbishment of the station building will be a new museum exhibition space.
The main attraction of this newly renovated space will be a terrain table added to the railway exhibition.
Visiting the facility is sure to become a popular program for train lovers, families, and foreign tourists as well. In addition to its aesthetic value, the renovation saves the building from demolition as well as creates a high-quality exhibition. The floor area of the terrain table is hundreds of square metres large. In addition, seasonal exhibitions and interactive pedagogical sessions will also be available.
Photo: www.facebook.om/vitezydavid
Vitézy added: “close to the building, in place of the demolished houses along the tram terminal, a railway-themed playground will be established, and outdoor cinema screenings will be held on the terrace. Moreover, in front of the building, a steam locomotive will be placed that is almost the same age as the original house was.
The house was built in 1884 and was one of the oldest station buildings in the country. It was in use for a long time, but the underpass built during the Metro line 4 project made it completely redundant. After the establishment of the Metro 4, the cash register was also moved out of the building, and the building’s condition deteriorated even further.
Photo: www.facebook.om/vitezydavid
Kelenföld is one of the busiest and most popular railway stations in the country. It is used by a large number of both Hungarians and foreigners, so it is the perfect place for the exhibition in the area of the station
to present the 175-year-old history of the relationship between Budapest and the railway.
The planning has begun at the Museum of Transport, which means that the next few months will be spent working out the details.
The western section of the M0 motorway around Budapest is finally being built. Not in the Buda hills as originally planned, but a little further away. It is renamed into M100 motorway and goes from Bicske to Esztergom. After the construction of the M100, only the northern part of the M0 ring road will be missing, which would be the M10 motorway that will connect Esztergom and Buda.
According to Tamás Schanda, Parliamentary and Strategic Secretary of State at the Ministry of Innovation and Technology (ITM), “The old and legitimate needs are being met for those living in Esztergom and its region: the M100 motorway is being built! After the public procurement, the contract will be concluded and the work area will be handed over,
so we can lay the foundation stone at the beginning of next year!”
The Secretary of State also emphasised that “the new road will be a huge step forward for the businesses of Esztergom, Dorog and the surrounding settlements, as they will be able to deliver their goods much faster”, adding that “companies here, such as Suzuki, are already employing a lot of people, and better transport and transportation infrastructure can open up new opportunities for them, thus further strengthening the region’s economy.”
Tamás Schanda also pointed out “that families living in the area are equally important. This way they can get to the highway or the capital safer and faster, and those wishing to travel to the wonderful places of Pilis and Gerecse from different parts of the country can get there sooner as well.”
By constructing the M100 highway, the western sector of M0 will be built, as a result of which only the northern part of the M0 ring will be missing.
Accordingly, the northern and western sectors of the M0 would not pass through the Buda hills, the tunnel and nature reserves as originally planned but would be built a little further from Budapest. The M10 would join the Bécsi road in the Solymár area, and it would probably reach the M100 motorway around Kesztölc.
As the Hungarian news portal Portfolio reports, the environmental impact study for the project has been prepared by NIF Ltd. in 2016 for EUR 201,000 (~HUF 72 million), and in January 2018, Constreal Mérnökiroda Ltd. won the contract for the preparation of the environmental impact study, permitting and construction plans for EUR 5.3 million (HUF 1.9 billion). According to the announcement on Monday, after adopting the construction plans and the public procurement, the contract and the handover of the work area can take place, so that the foundation stone can be laid early next year.
On Tuesday, the contract for the renovation of Budapest’s iconic attraction, the Chain Bridge, was signed by the management of Centre for Budapest Transport (BKK). The project is scheduled to begin in March and planned to be completed in the autumn of 2023.
The Chain Bridge was completed 172 years ago during the 1848-49 revolution and is also known as the first permanent and one of the most beautiful bridges over the Danube. Budapest’s iconic bridge is more than 380 metres long and 14.5 metres wide. As Hungarian news portal Magyar Építők reports, it is also a key part of transport in the Hungarian capital; therefore, its renovation has become a priority. As we reported earlier, the renovation works of Széchenyi Chain Bridge were planned to be realised for the beginning of this year, which has now been confirmed.
The patinated capital bridge will be renewed by the Hungarian A-Híd Ltd.; the company with the largest Hungarian bridge-building history won the public tender for the project for a net amount of EUR 52.9 million (~HUF 18.8 billion).
The reconstruction is scheduled to begin in March, and it is planned to be completed by the autumn of 2023.
Based on the website of Centre for Budapest Transport (BKK), within the framework of the renovation, the following works will be carried out:
the road surface will be completely reconstructed;
the remaining steel structures will be repaired and provided with corrosion protection;
the pedestrian barriers will be renovated;
bridge accessories (bridge shoes, expansion elements, walkways) will be renewed;
stone lions, stone coats of arms, stone inscriptions, and stone surfaces will be renovated;
the ventilation structures on the Buda side will be modernised;
the insulation of both the Buda and Pest anchoring chambers will be renewed;
and the flood protection system of the chambers will also be built.
They will also take care of the riverbed arrangement while working with the highest quality and greatest care on the 172-year-old monument.
This phase will include:
the Danube riverbed and the modernisation of navigational signals (construction of active radar);
the reconstruction of pedestrian underpasses and stairs;
The Budapest Mayor’s Office on Friday speculated that the government’s motivation for fast-tracking the construction of a new Danube bridge in the south of the capital was linked to “stealthy preparations” to again bid for hosting the Olympic Games.
The Budapest municipal council had planned to approve the construction of the new Albertfalva bridge linking the Buda and Pest sides of the city through the Danube island of Csepel that would improve accessibility across the city for 250,000 people in southern Budapest, the Mayor’s Office said in a statement.
However, the government now favours building a bridge further to the north of Csepel called Galvani before the Albertfalva bridge, the office said.
The municipal council had only approved the construction of the Galvani bridge to help improve traffic flows in other parts of the city, the statement said.
“But it became clear that the government had intended to achieve this by introducing a congestion fee, which it ultimately backtracked on,” it added.
The Mayor’s Office insisted that although the state secretary for development projects in and around Budapest had said that there was no new Olympic bid on the government’s agenda, the plans for the Galvani bridge and a host of sports-related government investments indicated otherwise.
The office said Budapest’s leadership wanted to improve traffic flows in the south of the capital rather than bringing traffic into the city from the surroundings.
“Plans based on old and obsolete data should be rethought and only projects that the capital and its residents need should be pursued,” they added.
The office said it was untrue that the construction of the Albertfalva bridge would also require building a 15-20km tunnel on the Buda side of the city.
The municipal council has prepared a development scheme to serve as a guideline for spending European Union funds for a liveable Budapest in a responsible way, the office said, adding that the ball was now in the government’s court to decide whether or not it supports the projects outlined in it.
This project is unique in every aspect, both in the Hungarian construction sector and the international market. It is impossible to find another building similar to the one designed by MOL on the Danube bank. This peculiar investment aims to create a new district in the capital. If you are interested in the details, keep reading.
“A unified concept characterises the BudaPark project, and also the fantasy of an artist creating freely” – said Sándor Scheer, general manager of Market Építő Zrt. on an online conference on the construction industry.
One of the most important investments of the capital of the upcoming year’s, that is already well under construction, will be executed by Property Market, an affiliate of Market Zrt.
The office tower, called MOL Campus, will serve as the future headquarters of MOL Group. Upon completion, it will be the tallest building not only in Budapest but in the whole of Hungary.
It will be situated at the so-called Kopaszi-gát, on a vast area on the south of a railway bridge’s foot on the Buda side of the capital – writes magyarépítők.hu.
Photo: https://www.budapart.hu/hu
Scheer said that the project is a reward “both for the developer and the executor, since with this project, we can implement all those results, materials and experience we have seen around the world. At the same time it is responsibility, as this valuable place has more than 100 years of history, and creating a new district in the city can only be done by prudence and humbleness.”
photo: https://www.budapart.hu/hu
They dreamt of creating an urban, liveable area on the 20-acre park and 23-acre buildable land. They designed office buildings together with residential buildings that include a number of green spaces. Its big park will be the centre of the project, which, according to data of Market, is already visited by thousands of people on a Summer weekend.
One of the most important elements of the whole concept is the office buildings built all around the area and thus creating a kind of shield to keep noise outside. Simultaneously, streets will be shorter and designed in a zigzag shape so that cars would not accelerate significantly or park on the streets, thus decreasing overall traffic.
photo: https://www.budapart.hu/hu
“The goal is to create an environment where you can let your kids go outside freely” and where a community can be formed.
The area will include 13 office buildings and 15 residential buildings with 3000 apartments, a commercial zone of 15 thousand square metres to provide residents with all necessary services and a new business type of hotel to serve the office park.
Photo: https://www.budapart.hu/hu
The MOL Campus, the 120 metres tall tower will provide 2500 people with a job on its 28 floors. Moreover, a roof balcony on a further 20 metres height will be included on the top of the building that will give a fantastic view of almost the whole of Budapest.
The tower will be equipped with numerous sustainable elements, thus aiming for the highest LEED qualification.
“Rain water will be reused, and the whole building will be heated by geothermal heat.” Thanks to the 28 thousand square metres glass surface of the tower, 3% of its energy needs will be provided by the sun while 90% of the working stations will be illuminated by natural light.
photo: https://www.budapart.hu/hu
The whole of the building will be protected by an automated, integrated security system which does not only automatically set air conditioning, heating and shielding but its digital layout of the building gives the possibility to do preventive maintenance works.
When it comes to the concrete base of the building, experts of Market worked together with colleagues from the Budapest University of Technology and Economics. “Technically, all the knowledge of the Hungarian construction industry is included in this achievement. This project goes beyond the current capabilities of the Hungarian industry. It is a huge opportunity that we can keep on learning throughout the whole of this investment.” – said Scheer.
The project is expected to be finalised in about 10 years, and Market expects 30 thousand people every single day in the new area of the capital.
The development stage of the new Danube Bridge, the Galvani Bridge, is progressing, as the social consultation and impact assessment of the Pest route of the new bridge’s road network has now been completed, Dávid Vitézy said on his social media.
According to Infostart, the Budapest Public Development Council decided in February 2020 to support the construction of the Galvani Bridge as it would reduce and divert the traffic within the city and connect and shorten the route between the districts of South Pest. The bridge will have a 2 by 2 road, wide bike paths, and a tram line.
The designing of the bridge itself and the boulevard directly connected to it has been going on ever since, and its preparations will be completed before the end of 2021. In his Facebook post, Dávid Vitézy, the chairman of the executive board of the Budapest Public Development Council, recalls that the plans for the bridge and the related boulevard were published at ujdunahid.hu in the summer of 2020, giving an opportunity for people to express their opinion about the project. A very high percentage, 84-90% of those who completed the questionnaire supported the selected solutions.
As the decision has been made about the route of the boulevard between Fehérvári Road and Gubacsi Road, the next step is the construction and implementation, says the chairman of the Budapest Public Development Council.
At the same time, however, the Pest route of the boulevard connected to the Galvani Bridge has not been decided yet, and the Budapest Public Development Council (BPDC) has decided to request the examination and impact analysis of 6 variants. This task was performed by BPDC and Nemzeti Infrastruktúra Fejlesztő Zrt. (National Infrastructure Developer Ltd.).
They involved the capital, the affected districts (Kispest, Ferencváros, Kőbánya), and locally active non-governmental organisations in the development of the investigation methodology and the impact assessments.
An online public forum was held, and everyone was given the opportunity to form their opinion on www.budapestujkorutja.hu.
Boulevard Version 2
Source: budapestujkorutja.hu
Boulevard Version 2 Cross Section
Source: budapestujkorutja.hu
Boulevard Version 2 Satellite View
Source: budapestujkorutja.hu
Boulevard Version 2 Statistics
Source: budapestujkorutja.hu
According to Dávid Vitézy, there are two variants that can be considered, given the answers of the respondents: one is variant 2, which involves the construction of a tunnel on the edge of Kiserdő, and the other is variant 3, which involves the construction of a tunnel under the current roadway of Határ Road.
Boulevard Version 3
Source: budapestujkorutja.hu
Boulevard Version 3 Cross Section
Source: budapestujkorutja.hu
Boulevard Version 3 Satellite View
Source: budapestujkorutja.hu
Boulevard Version 3 Statistics
Source: budapestujkorutja.hu
The major difference between the two variants is that though the tunnel under Kiserdő is further away from the houses on Határ Road, it affects the forest, while the tunnel directly under Határ Road keeps the forest untouched, but the road would be closer to the houses.
In total, version 3, the one that avoids the forest area, enjoys greater support among the respondents.
Of course, several technical issues need to be solved, such as the proper design of the entrance and exit sections of the tunnel, the proper organisation of the long-term construction, and the protection of the heritage buildings at the Wekerle housing estate.
A further preliminary examination of these issues was carried out in November, but no definitive decision was made about the Pest side of the boulevard connected to the Galvani Bridge.
The construction of a sub-platform travel centre at Budapest’s Keleti Railway Station will get under way following a government decree on allocating funding to the project, state railway company MÁV said on Friday.
The 1.6 billion forint (EUR 4.4m) investment is to be co-financing by the European Union and state, and the public procurement procedure is expected to be concluded by the end of the year, MÁV said in a statement.
The project includes amenities for purchasing tickets, an information desk and disability access.
The 137-year-old station serves almost 11 million passengers each year.
The 1.542sqm travel centre will be equipped with 9 ticket desks and 2 customer service desks, one for the handicapped. It will also have a waiting area, a children’s corner and a facility for security guards.
With a view to reducing passenger waiting times, 18 ticket machines will be installed in the centre and on platforms.
The project includes the installation of an escalator and lifts to ensure unhindered access to the platforms and the metro lines, as well as a luggage storage near the passenger centre, MÁV said.
Possibly, there is no other cultural branch that has given more famous Hungarians to the word than music. In the universal language of music, many Hungarian composers and performers created something special, among which we can mention Ferenc Liszt, Béla Bartók, or Zoltán Kodály. Still, there is no place in Hungary where we could discover the legacy of Hungarian music as part of the universal history of music. At least there has been no such place, until this year.
The House of Hungarian Music wishes to fill this hole and act as a real community area and meeting point in the life of Hungarian music. It will provide a possibility to learn about music while having fun, with the help of concert halls, exhibition halls, and educational spaces. The design and the function of the building are considered a marvellous opportunity not only in Hungary but on the other side of the ocean as well. On the first day of January, CNN issued its article/list containing the most interesting and transformative buildings that are set to shape the world in 2021. The list, which contains 8 innovative buildings from New York to Taipei, is quite compelling, making it a huge honour for the House of Hungarian Music to be included among the most anticipated designs.
Photo: www.facebook.com/MagyarZeneHáza
It will be built next to the lake in Városliget, in the proximity of the ice-skating rink and the Castle of Vajdahunyad, in the place of the already demolished offices of the old Hungexpo.
It will be one of the outstanding works of the Liget Budapest Project that will reshape one of Hungary’s biggest public parks.
The building is designed by Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto who dreamt about an almost completely transparent, environment-friendly building that aims to create a harmonious transition between the natural and artificial environments. The museum, music venue, and education centre will have an undulating roof full of perforations through which trees will reach into the sky. Thanks to the transparent design that eliminates the border between inside and outside, the building will also attract all those who simply go to the park to take a walk.
The House will have a permanent exhibition that shows the evolution of music starting from the formation of human sound, up until today’s modern genres, putting an emphasis on Hungarian music and its rich history.
All with the help of museal and concert-like circumstances. The main audience of the institution will be children, their parents and teachers, and young adults, who are not necessarily trained in music, or maybe they are not even frequent visitors of classical concerts. That is why this house will be so important. This “palace of the wonders of music” will help the audience personally relive the birth of musical harmonies, with the help of special installations and technical solutions, providing a full experience to all.
Hungary will repave about 1,000km of roads at a cost of 190 billion forints (EUR 520m) this year, the Innovation and Technology Ministry said on Friday.
The roadwork will be undertaken in more than 350 projects, the ministry said.
József Szilvai, the CEO of state road maintenance company Magyar Közút Nonprofit, said 2021 would be a “record year” in terms of the number and scale of projects.
Audit office: 2020 ‘breakthrough year’ for telecommuting in Hungary
The coronavirus epidemic and its impact on the Hungarian economy and society brought about a “breakthrough” in telecommuting in 2020, the State Audit Office (ASZ) said on Friday.
Citing Central Statistical Office (KSH) data, ASZ said that whereas between 2010 and 2019 only 2.9 percent of employees telecommuted full-time or occasionally, their share within the labour force rose to 17 percent, or around 750,000 people, by May 2020. Following the first wave of the epidemic, the share of telecommuters stabilised at around 7 percent.
The statement said a rise in telecommuting could increase employment among groups disadvantaged by housing conditions or a lack of transport opportunities. It could also diminish the importance of location when it comes to the housing market and ease the strain on transport infrastructure, ASZ added.
The office said that a balance between the monitoring of employees working from home and the protection of their private data could result in greater acceptance for telecommuting.
At the same time, ASZ also emphasised the importance of devoting special attention to the effect of telecommuting on workers’ mental health, saying that the long-term optimal work model could be a combination of home and office work.
The government is launching its biggest ever home creation scheme this year, Katalin Novák, the minister for family affairs, said on Facebook on Friday.
Under the scheme, the VAT rate on newly built homes is reduced from 27 percent to 5 percent from Jan. 1, Novák said. The measures also make new home purchases with the CSOK housing subsidy scheme exempt from VAT and all home purchases with CSOK exempt from duties, the minister said.
The first day of the year also marks the launch of a new home renovation subsidy for households with at least one child, Novák noted.
Under the scheme, half of the renovation costs up to a maximum of 3 million forints (EUR 8,200) per renovation will be covered by the state. Also, a preferential home renovation loan will be available from February 1, she said, noting that its term will be limited to ten years.
The government is also extending the CSOK scheme to loft conversions, Novák said. Families with three children who avail themselves of this option will be eligible for a 10 million forint subsidy, those with two children will get 2.6 million forints, while families with one child will be entitled to a 600,000 forint non-repayable subsidy, the minister said.
A maximum 10 million forints is available in the CSOK support plus another maximum 15 million forints in the CSOK related subsidised-interest loan, she added.
