The neoclassical building in the capital?s castle district was built in 1806 for nobleman Vince Sándor. The renowned architect Miklós Ybl (1814 ? 1891), who designed Budapest?s opera house and St. Stephen?s Basilica, was commissioned to convert the building into an office for the prime minister in 1867. The building retained this function almost until the end of the Second World War. After the siege of Budapest in 1944-45, the condition of the building deteriorated and it was used as a warehouse for the city?s museums. The exterior was redone in 1989-1990, and an archaeological excavation at the time uncovered a cistern from a medieval Franciscan abbey at the site. The interior of the building was refurbished as part of the Buda Castle reconstruction project in 2000 ? 2002. The roof of the building was replaced and new offices were built. The interior has been redone to reflect the building?s condition in 1806, with furnishings modelled after the period between the two world wars. A kilogramme of gold leaf was used during the renovation.
