„Our experts are capable of handling any building construction project.”

Várkert Bazár, TRIBE Budapest Airport Hotel, ELI-ALPS Laser Research Centre, Hotel Füred, Academy of Music, M4 and M3 metro lines – just a few of the successful projects that SWIETELSKY Magyarország Ltd. has completed or reconstructed. In addition, the company's building construction team has renovated and built numerous other hotels, real estate developments, halls, listed buildings and apartment buildings.

Three departments comprise professionals, many of whom have spent decades with the company and gained extensive experience in various projects.

We discussed the major successes and challenges with three experts in the field: Ágnes Barna, chief construction manager; Bálint Medgyesy, project manager; and Zsolt Kocsis, chief installation engineer and mechanical and electrical manager. As they have worked and continue to work together on numerous projects, the interview turned into a pleasant professional conversation, from which we learned exciting details about how specialist tasks are linked to the schedule and how interior design influences planning and implementation.

Ágnes Barna (whom I first met during the renovation of the M3 underground line, as project manager for Ferenciek Square station – ed.), joined SWIETELSKY twenty years ago. At her previous multi-company workplace, she felt that as a woman she could not advance beyond the position of engineer, even though she was driven by greater challenges. She started here as a construction manager and has been a general project manager since the construction of the M4 metro line.

„We can manage any project”

„What I really like about this company is that it can handle a wide range of construction projects. I myself have completed numerous different building projects. We are a close-knit team of colleagues, and there is no challenge that we cannot find a solution to. We sit down, brainstorm together and always figure out how to move forward. All of my colleagues are able to manage any project thanks to their expertise and experience.”

„One of the most challenging projects was the Media Center Campona in Budatétény (the former headquarters of RTL). The studio technology, lighting ceilings and acoustics were all tasks that you don’t encounter in classic construction projects. I have been involved in the construction of several office buildings and apartment buildings, but my team and I built the first large geothermal office building in Budapest for Raiffeisen Bank on Késmárk Street.”

Key assignment: the Castle Garden Bazaar

The expert's favourite project is the reconstruction of the Várkert Bazár, on which almost all departments of SWIETELSKY Magyarország Kft. worked together, although not simultaneously due to the scheduling of the work.

„This work was very close to my heart because of its historical significance and because it involved so many different professions, the cream of the crop of master builders from times gone by: decorative painters, brick, stone, ceramic, plaster, wood, metal, stained glass and terrazzo restorers, whom you rarely encounter in modern architecture.”

– recalled Ágnes Barna.

„We rescued archaeological treasures, carried out deep excavations, mined, piled, renovated historic structures, and created unique stage technology, acoustics and interior design – it was simply a „great love” project. It was very challenging, but I really enjoyed it. We had 14 months to complete it, and in the meantime, it turned out that our task was not only to preserve the condition of the building, but also to protect it as a historic monument. Bálint, who is sitting next to me now, and I often closed the office late at night because we were still looking for solutions.”

„What I like about Bálint is that he has a very strong internal architectural perspective and pays attention to detail, which was a very important factor here.”

The interior design concept is key to the implementation

„Not only here” – joins the conversation Bálint Medgyesy, project manager, who believes that interior design is important in most projects. Especially in hotels, he says, and in any building where marketing can sell the building through its interior design.

„For these facilities, it would be essential for the client to have specific interior design plans drawn up, which would then be used to develop and draw up the structural and general plans. We often see that there is a plan, but the interior design requirements only come to light during the construction process, at which point it is difficult or only possible to meet the client's requirements at the cost of modifications.”

– reveal anomalies.

Bálint Medgyesy emphasises another point: „The project manager is a very important player in investments. In many cases, the client does not entrust this role to anyone, even though it is the project manager who monitors and coordinates everything from the plans to the completion of the project, harmonising the tasks, processes and specialist areas. It's about having someone you trust to oversee the entire investment – and how beautiful the Hungarian language is, since we use the word megbíz for this. If you don't have someone like that, things can fall apart and someone else who isn't competent will have to take on the coordination.”

Through the eyes of an interior designer

The team's key member, project manager Bálint Medgyesy, is exceptional due to his attraction to interior design – and his approach makes the projects special.

”For me, it started when I was young. I wanted to be an interior designer, but I wasn't accepted into the College of Applied Arts, so I became an urban planning engineer. After that, I attended the University of Technology, but I didn't graduate. However, by then I had designed so many houses that I was granted the licence based on my portfolio,” he says, recounting his beginnings.

The expert worked in urban planning, public administration and architectural design for 15 years. In 1999, a job recommendation from a friend brought him into direct contact with interior design, and after participating in several projects, it became clear to him that he had found his calling.

„As a designer, I would never have had access to projects involving interior design in the same way as a contractor. I understood the language of the investor, the architect and the interior designer, and I could see where they misunderstood each other. I spent ten years in this role as an interpreter.”

He did not like one of his most unique projects

Among his major projects, he mentions the construction of the Meininger Hotel located next to the Fővám Square Market Hall, which was completed in 2020 Construction Quality Award in the „Public Buildings / Commercial” category. The irony is that the most controversial project brought him the most recognition. The project also won the Construction Creativity Award.

Its interior design was inspired by Hungarian industrial art and the neo-Gothic style of the Market Hall. Although it was a significant general contracting project, the sense of achievement was overshadowed by the fact that the drastic increase in material costs and labour wages that occurred after the work began in 2016 made it difficult to stay within budget.

„The structural transition between the superstructure and the basement level, as well as the undulating exposed concrete façade of the building, posed a serious technical challenge. This is an inverted structure: reinforced concrete on the outside, doors and windows on the inside, and a 20-40 cm wide thermal insulation and vapour barrier layer in between. However, until the thermal insulation and sheet metal work was completed, we could not close the building – this required serious organisation, and in addition, the undulating surface had to be temporarily winterised to prevent precipitation from falling in,” recalls the project manager.

Rural projects have a special charm

The project manager was involved not only in investments in Budapest, but also worked extensively in the countryside. The most memorable project for him was the renovation of Hotel Füred in Balatonfüred, where new apartment buildings were also constructed as part of the investment.

„When we won this contract, we actually moved to Balatonfüred and became a „holiday group” within the company. It was a good period in terms of team building, because we really bonded with our colleagues.

We also discovered that working in the countryside is completely different: people have a different mentality, and we had good experiences. The authorities, clients and subcontractors are more solution-oriented than in the capital, and actions are guided by trust rather than mistrust – this had a major impact on the project and the atmosphere of our work.”

Without engineering, a building is just a doghouse

Zsolt Kocsis, chief installation engineer for SWIETELSKY Magyarország Kft., sums up his job with a humorous remark when I ask him what his responsibilities are.

„I always say: you can build without me, but it will be a doghouse. If you don't want to be cold or want to wash, then come to me! But joking aside, I am a mechanical engineer and I am studying electrical engineering, which are two quite diverse but related fields. We ensure the implementation of individual projects together with my colleague who manages the two fields,” explains Zsolt Kocsis.

„Mechanical and electrical engineering are the alpha and omega of every house – they drive the schedule,” interjects Bálint Medgyesy. Both consist of many, many systems, which must first be built, and then, in order for the system to be operational, the two disciplines must be coordinated. Once both are complete, there is a major commissioning process at the end, which will make the house not only usable but also comfortable."

...where mechanical engineering and electrical engineering meet in implementation

Ágnes Barna, chief construction manager, adds: mechanical engineering plans are always available, but these plans do not reveal the electrical wiring routes or how the individual disciplines work together. For example, how a camera system is connected to a structured internet network, or how a fire protection system is integrated. This is where the creativity of colleagues is needed, because such situations usually have to be resolved by the contractor.

„But it also happens,” he says, "that there is a gap in the shield, meaning that according to the plans, the mechanical tasks do not match the low current, and a small work process is missing. In such cases, we decide which department to assign it to, because it has to go to one of them," he says with a laugh.

„That reminds me,” adds Zsolt Kocsis, "I am also an interpreter on the project, which means that my job is to translate the language and ideas of the mechanical and electrical engineers for my architect colleagues. I also create decision-making situations so that we can move forward when we reach a turning point. This increases efficiency and the sense of security within the team," explains the installation manager.

Professional specialities inspire mechanical engineers

In terms of mechanical engineering, he also highlights Raiffeisen Bank's geothermal office building and Media Center Campona. The former is a serious, energy-efficient building. „In the MCC project, I was „only” responsible for the mechanical engineering, but it presented me with a number of good challenges. There were many redundant cooling and heating systems for the studios, the mixing console and the editing rooms. In 2005, VRF technology (variable refrigerant flow system) was in its infancy, and a very serious structure had to be built.

Some rooms were sensitive to acoustics, so when designing the ventilation system, we had to pay attention to air noise as well as passive noise. We also had to meet strict technical requirements to ensure that the air velocity was not noticeable and did not cause draughts at the tables, for example.

Zsolt Kocsis made special mention of the design of the Raiffeisen Bank HQ4 office building, where a ventilation system was installed under the false floor (similar systems are also used in theatres), and cooling and heating lamellas were used as a false ceiling, adding elegance to the interior.

The Medicontur was a challenging task

In autumn 2024, the Medicontur hall in Zsámbék was completed in autumn 2024, where SWIETELSKY was responsible for the interior design of the new plant of the medical device manufacturer. The construction team made every effort to meet the high standards of the client, particularly in terms of hygiene. The installation manager also spoke of the project as something truly special.

„The relationship between the architect and the engineer caused us a lot of headaches, but the design of the so-called clean room (operating and laboratory area) and the implementation of rooms with different pressures, which we connected with airlocks, was very special from a professional point of view. It is rare to have the opportunity to work on such an exciting project.”

Every colleague has an area within the construction industry that is closer to their professional interests,„ adds Ágnes Barna. "We also showed this project to young engineers, as the installation of a clean room is a truly complex engineering task.

When asked which other project I would mention, in my opinion, a serious engineering achievement – certainly from an organisational point of view (I feel I could not have done it) – was the separate-level junction on the M1-M7 motorway approach section in Őrmező. My colleague Ferenc Horváth was responsible for its implementation.”

In 2017, the project received the Construction Industry Award in the complex infrastructure facility category. SWIETELSKY Magyarország Kft. „Connecting the M1-M7 motorway access section with Kelenföld railway station and terminal 4 METRO is a true engineering feat. The reconstruction of Hungary's busiest road section, which is used by more than 100,000 vehicles per day, was carried out in more than 50 temporary traffic diversion phases over a period of one and a half years, while maintaining traffic on 2×3 lanes. (...) The end result, the connection of road, rail and public transport networks into an intermodal hub, was created to world-class standards,” they wrote in their statement.

Swietelsky has also made its mark in the construction of two metro lines.

The renovation of the M3 metro line was completed in May 2023, on which SWIETELSKY Magyarország worked for three years, with the task of renovating the stations in the middle section. With the completion of the project, a great deal of human resources and capacity were freed up, and the specialists returned to other areas of the company, mainly to building construction. (Prior to this, in the 2010s, the company had constructed ten stations on the M4 metro line.)

„It was a huge project, full of engineering challenges. When we started on the M3, we thought we had gained sufficient experience during the construction of the M4 underground line, but no parallels can be drawn; the M3 was a new construction, whereas the M4 involved the renovation and replacement of outdated and dilapidated systems built using old methods,” said Ágnes Barna, chief construction manager. Zsolt Kocsis explained the details.

„It is interesting to see which projects pose challenges for which disciplines. For example, the M3 metro line was not a challenge in terms of mechanical engineering, but it was in terms of electrical engineering, and this greatly strengthened our electrical engineering discipline. I joined the electrical department during the reconstruction of the M3 metro line, and I know how far we have come; I have seen how much I myself have developed. The difficult circumstance was that the northern and southern sections were in continuous operation, with trains running in the morning and evening – we had to ensure the supply of electricity and the operation of other safety systems.

We rebuilt ten switchyards with a capacity of several million watts in several stages. There were separate plans for the order in which the distribution cabinets would be installed and how the connections could be made, which caused us a lot of headaches. There was no such challenge with the M4 metro, because that was a greenfield investment,” explained the chief installation engineer.

„In addition to operating the systems necessary to provide metro service on the northern and southern sections of the M3 line, the organisation was also a significant task (e.g., material deliveries by train, typically at night and on weekends). Working underground also presented difficulties,” added Ágnes Barna.

„We have found that when we are „stuck” in a specific area of construction for three years, such as metro construction, other areas of the construction industry undergo significant developments in terms of the materials used during that time. Once we have completed the construction work below the M3 crust, we need to update our knowledge of materials and technologies, or in relation to the new regulatory environment, so that we can continue working above ground in building construction.”

Good tasks bring the team together

„Overall, I can say that there are complex, difficult projects that we encounter many problems during implementation. Over the decades, we have become capable of handling and solving these problems together. In fact, these situations bring us closer together, as we have to keep in mind the perspectives of different disciplines, clients and operators, which means that everyone learns something. When we hand over a project and see that our decisions and joint engineering work have resulted in a better solution, it is very positive feedback for us,” concluded Ágnes Barna, chief construction manager, in the interview.