The newly refurbished historic Castle Bazaar (Várkert Bazár), the royal garden pavilions at the foot of the Castle hill, will be worthy of its old fame, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said at the opening of the first phase of the reconstruction on Thursday.
In his address, the Prime Minister said that with the reconstruction, a stain that has been in shameful display for almost thirty years has been removed from the history of Hungarian heritage protection, adding that the second phase of the project must be completed by the end of August, to be followed by the full reconstruction of the palace.
The Prime Minister underlined that saving this architectural treasure was partially the work of Gábor Tamás Nagy, Mayor of the 1st district of Budapest, who had always backed the renovation project and prevented privatisation plans, including building a shopping centre in place of the Bazaar.
He also expressed his hope that after its „resurrection”, the Bazaar will become a lively cultural centre and a popular tourist attraction. Government Commissioner in charge of the project, László L. Simon, said the renovation of the Várkert Bazaar has been one of the largest heritage restoration projects since the regime change in Hungary.
The Government decided on the renovation of the 2,000 square-metre pavilions – which were closed thirty years ago, in 1984 – in 2010.
Since 1996, the Global Heritage Fund has classified the Várkert Bazaar as one of the world's one-hundred most endangered world heritage sites. Following the renovation, however, the local government of Budapest’s first district has initiated its removal from the list.
In addition to the renovation of those parts of the monument which were designed by architect Miklós Ybl in 1883, and which are part of the world heritage, a 2500 square metre exhibition hall as well as a 900 square metre event hall were also established within the framework of the first phase.
The Prime Minister reiterated that there can be no strong Hungary without a strong Budapest, and today, one can hardly find a place in the capital where something has not been renovated: the Liszt Academy of Music, the Erkel Theatre and the Vigadó have been renovated recently and line 4 of the Metro is also finally complete. On Monday, the renovated Ludovika university campus was inaugurated, and last week the renovated Design Terminal and Erzsébet Square, a popular spot among the city's youth, were also opened.
(Prime Minister's Office)
