Visitors to the Lotz Room, which is covered with frescos by the famous Hungarian painters Károly Lotz and Árpád Feszty, will be amazed when the reconstruction and restoration is completed, Tiba said. It is hoped the project will finish in November, he added.
A gallery is planned for the sixth floor of the former Fashion Hall, with glass wall-partitioned offices on the lower floors. A seasonal bar is likely to be built as part of a glass and steel expansion on the rooftop terrace. The original stairs in the building will be replaced with escalators.
Though a list of the names of the renters in the building is still not known, it is hoped the Fashion Hall will again operate, in part, as a retail centre, Mr Tiba said. He noted that the ground floor and the first floor, including the Lotz Room will be opened to the public.
ORCO Property Group bought the former Fashion Hall building for HUF 3bn at the beginning of 2006. The cost of renovating the structure, which has stood vacant for years, was estimated at HUF 2bn. ORCO acquired the necessary permits for the project in August 2007.
ORCO first commissioned a French architect to design a concept for the building's reconstruction. But the plan would have required structural reinforcements, which were rejected by Hungary's Monument Plan Council. In a later analysis of the building, it was discovered that the building's original planners had already come up with an elegant architectural solution for the reinforcements.
ORCO said last August all efforts would be made to maintain the building's original appearance. It will also keep its function, though further functions will be added. ORCO said it planned to reopen the building in the second half of 2008.
Source: Múlt-kor / Hungarian News Agency (MTI)
