The university is renting 14,000 square metres of space in the cultural quarter from the city for 20 years for an annual 50 million forints. The rental contract was signed by Pécs mayor Zsolt Páva and university rector József Bódis on Monday.
The cultural quarter, on the site of the old Zsolnay porcelain factory, was renovated at a cost of 10.8 billion forints as part of the city?s European Capital of Culture programme. About 3 billion forints of that amount went toward creating the space for the university.
The university?s space in the quarter is outfitted with well-equipped rooms for instruction as well as exhibition spaces, workshops and music practice rooms. There is a concert hall and a theatre too. The factory?s old kiln room was artfully converted into a library.
The mayor called the Zsolnay Cultural Quarter ?sensational? and said it would inspire learning.
The university rector welcomed the move, saying the school of liberal arts had ?outgrown? the space it uses at present.
Source: Hungarian News Agency (MTI)
