The county government has supported a number of environmental and energy protection projects in the county’s settlements in recent years, through tenders for which nearly five billion forints have been allocated to modernize municipal buildings and institutions, from kindergartens to medical clinics. Now is the time to renovate the Town Hall in the city center of Gyor, and to refresh the energy of the historic building which will be provided from the District Regional Development Fund.
Built for ninety thousand forints
The building in Városház tér, established in 1891, was once home to the Royal Supreme Court of Justice of Transdanubia, which included 37 district and eight county courts. Once built for 90,000 HUF, the investment is credited to building contractor Győr Károly Schlichter. Today, the three-storey building temporarily houses the county government as well as the Land Office, but since no major renovations have taken place in the building in recent decades, it is time to update the aging power system.
Although the municipality was preparing for the renovation, which began three years ago, several obstacles hindered the start of the work. First of all, the nature of the building is a monument that comes with serious heritage protection regulations and special evaluation. Moreover, the position of the relevant authority has changed several times in recent years.
– It was not easy to face the ever-changing challenges; It turns out, for example, that worn and cracked windows cannot be replaced, even if we have wooden windows made perfectly age-appropriate and deceptively similar to the originals. Instead, based on the restorer’s assessment, only those windows that are truly beyond repair can be replaced, and the rest must be saved by professional renovation, says Zoltán Németh, president of the county council.
The facade will also receive a new thermal insulation, which will be solved with a special heat-insulating plaster, so the shape and appearance of the building will not change. Thermal insulation and solar panels will be installed on the roof, and the renewable energy obtained in this way will also contribute to the office’s electrical needs.
The renovation is being carried out by Dreiszker és Társai Kft. , who has extensive experience in renovating historic buildings. His works include projects such as the restoration of the Bishop’s Palace in Szombathely or the Church of St.
Modern spaces replace the homeless
This is not the only investment in the district government area: the renovation of the property on the Danube, which will serve as the office’s events center in the future, complete with office buildings, will soon also begin. The property on Töltésszer Street, which has not been inhabited for 15 years, was once the boat house of the MSZMP, in the building that deserves a better fate, a legal club that has been operating in recent decades, TEK people practice here, but homeless people have also moved in in the ruined walls.
The neglected sixty-year-old building will soon be completely renovated, with an investment of 730 million HUF, and the provincial government will transform it into a modern and eco-friendly venue. The works, which are expected to last 15 months, have started in the last few days. The building, which is in harmony with the nearby “biscuit factory” block, will combine many jobs in this dynamically developing part of the city. There is much need for renovation, as the town hall in the city center is not suitable for holding major events, but even a public hearing or meeting cannot be held under suitable conditions. They cannot receive international diplomatic delegations and guests in a dignified manner, but there is no suitable place in the building for ceremonies and regular training courses, such as the village director’s course.
It will be a self-sustaining building
Our goal is to create a building suitable for holding events of the most diverse nature and number of people. To this end, we designed flexibly changing interior spaces, complemented by office spaces, which aid in day-to-day work, explains Zoltan Nemeth.
The designer TSPC Kft. – headed by Mihály Kádár as chief designer – he dreamed of a building that was not only functional but also environmentally friendly. This means that the house is actively “self-sufficient”, that is, a house that does not require any energy, with the latest engineering and energy solutions, an automation system and remote monitoring enabling convenient operation. Since the building is located in a flood zone, special solutions are used to make it “flood-proof”: in addition to the design standing on piles, for example, the full washability of the basement ensures that a potential flood does not cause any damage. That’s right, thanks to downstream works in Gönyű, fortunately this is becoming less common… The county government commissioned the Szabó és Társa Belsőépietzzeti Kft. and Erda Szolg Kft with construction.
The 666 square meters of floor space also includes covered outdoor space for events, so there’s almost no need that an event center can’t fill. A conference of 150 people could be held here in the future as well as a formal project closing ceremony or even an elegant wedding. Moreover, we learned from the Chairman of the General Assembly that there are plans to include the center in tourism circulation as well. This is in line with the provincial government’s tourism objectives: the building could be a great stopping point for water tourists, among others, but it could also link them to the needs of the neighboring aquatic center.
