One of Szentendre's most important exhibition spaces finally completed after two decades

In addition to the construction of three new exhibition halls, the development also solved the complete waterproofing of the building, renewed the courtyard facade of the central wing, on the ground floor a modern conference room with high ceilings was built, and on the gallery level two museum-educational workshops with associated service spaces were built - the Ferenczy Museum Centre's press release said. The conference room, which can host not only conferences and lectures, but also concerts and readings, made its debut this spring with the Árpád People International Archaeological Conference.

It took 24 years

MűvészetMalom is a contemporary art exhibition space in Szentendre that has been open to the public for more than two decades. The former sawmill, built at the end of the 19th century, is one of Hungary's most unique exhibition spaces, which opened to the public in June 1999. The listed building complex of the steam mill was renovated in several phases starting in the second half of the 1990s. In the first phase, the northern wing of the building on Bogdányi Street was completed, with exhibition spaces on three floors. The partial renovation of the street wing was followed by the construction of a new south wing and a complete renovation and extension of the street wing, including a new entrance lobby. The central wing was protected from rainfall by a gable roof from the 1990s, but its walls remained bare and the windows were not incorporated into the openings in the front of the courtyard wall.

Even in this "structural" state, the wing of the building has hosted many exhibitions and theatre performances, and now, according to the plans of architect Veronika B. Szabó and XYZ Design Labor, it has been extended with three new exhibition spaces. The original façade surfaces and the brick walls have been preserved to recall the industrial function of the former sawmill. With a net development cost of nearly 224 million forints, the ArtMalom is finally complete and was opened to the public at a ceremony with a gala concert over the weekend.