Veszprém's new employment and arts development centre is ready

The redevelopment of the former Piarist Gymnasium and its surroundings in Deák Ferenc Street in Veszprém has been completed: the developments have resulted in the creation of an occupational and artistic development centre, including a puppet theatre, in the area at the eastern foot of Várhegy.

We last reported on the project in March in March, which was part of a public procurement tender for the development of the city's cultural tourism offerings, an investment by the Municipality of Veszprém County, VEMÉV-SZER Kft. and the LATEREX Construction Zrt. consortium.

Four new buildings and a sheltered, landscaped communal space have been created

Following renovation and conversion works, the former gymnasium, which had been unused for a long time, has been revived as a puppet theatre and arts and crafts development centre on an area of almost 500 square metres. The building houses a foyer, a large hall, a stage, a warehouse, an office, a kitchenette and a water block, while the attic space has been converted into a heat centre and a ventilation plant.

In connection with the puppet theatre, a green-roofed reception building of almost 250 square metres has been built at the foot of the castle as a continuation of the retaining wall system, which will soon include bathrooms, a baby-mama room and a gift shop, as well as a rehearsal room, storage rooms and dressing rooms.

In addition to these, a new building has been constructed on the western, central and eastern part of the site. On the north side of the property, a two-storey exhibition hall has been built, on the ground floor of which a permanent exhibition of the towers of the buildings of the Veszprém Castle Hill, located in a particular natural geographic site, can be viewed.

In the centre is the cafeteria building with a ground floor and a high roof, while the childcare centre is located in the south side.

As part of the project, the community space surrounding the buildings was also completed, so that a protected, landscaped community space will be waiting for visitors to walk through the outdoor areas.

Cooperation between designers and contractors was also key to the success of the project

As regards the work and challenges in the final phase of the project, Lóránt Csehi, the project leader of VEMÉV-SZER Kft., gave information to our newspaper. We learned from the expert that after a year-long development, the technical handover of the entire project was successfully completed on 30 June 2023, and after that the occupancy permit was issued by the Municipality of Veszprém Megyei Jogú Város, the city of Veszprém. The Department of Building and Heritage Protection of the Veszprém County Government Office has issued the occupancy permit by the time of publication of this article.

The project manager said that there were no unforeseen difficulties during the second phase of the project, which allowed the works to proceed without any problems. "The helpful attitude of the general designer, László Kalmár, who was always willing to find the best solutions for each detail, was a great help in the final phase"

- stressed the expert.

He added that the successful handover also required a tight schedule and flexible attitude of the colleagues working on the project during the last two months, which was managed through several weekly meetings, cooperation and daily scheduling. In addition, he also highlighted the smooth and teamwork of the project management team members delegated by VEMÉV-SZER Kft. and LATEREX Zrt., which enabled the project to be delivered to the expected quality and on time.

"We have now handed over the site and the keys to the project, and at this stage the Operator is taking possession of the facility on a permanent basis," concluded the project manager.