The castle where history was made

The 250-year-old Tisza Castle in Geszt is one of the iconic buildings of Hungarian history, which has witnessed the nation's fate-changing events for centuries and has given the country two prime ministers. The castle had fallen into disrepair in recent decades, but a three-year renovation project was carried out as part of the National Castle Programme and National Castle Programme, funded by the WEST HUNGÁRIA BAU Kft. and BUILD IT Mérnökiroda Zrt.. During the reconstruction, experts used the Mapei drying plaster system and masonry mortar to restore the historic masonry.

History of the castle

The castle, built between 1761 and 1772, is located in the heart of the Great Plain, in the village of Geszt, and is closely linked to the Tisza family, a dominant figure in the political and cultural life of Hungary in the 19th century.

The primary aim of the reconstruction was to restore the building complex to its last, original state.

In the main building of the castle, some rooms have been restored to their original function, such as István Tisza's study, while the women's salon has been transformed into an exhibition space and event venue, offering the possibility to organise business meetings, team-building trainings, conferences and civil wedding ceremonies. The chateau's spaces offer modern facilities, such as a café and a museum-education workshop.

Thanks to the reconstruction, the castle garden and the park have been completely renewed, and on the border of the two, the Arany János Guest House has been built, which provides perfect accommodation for visitors arriving for several days, for those who wish to retreat and relax. The renewed Tisza Castle is a unique, complex tourism development project within the NÖF Nemzeti Örökségvédelmi Fejlesztési Nonprofit Kft. network, which includes a permanent exhibition, accommodation, restaurant services and multifunctional sports fields.

Restoration of the listed masonry

The renovation of the building involved a major task to restore the masonry, both the façade and the basement, which was in a dilapidated state inside and out.

Façade renovation with dry plaster system

As a solution to the problem of damp-proofing the façade, the professionals used the Mapei POROMAP dry plaster system on the plinth of the building at varying heights, between 90 and 200 cm, over a total surface area of approximately 450 m².

The POROMAP drying plaster system allows the restoration of brick, stone and tuff masonry, as the elements of the system have high sulphate resistance and excellent vapour permeability.

After removing the old plaster, PRIMER 3296 primer was used to consolidate the masonry, which is capable of penetrating even slightly porous building materials.

Pre-sprayed mortar was applied to the cleaned surface of the wall, POROMAP RINZAFFO PLUS was applied to the cleaned surface, which serves to ensure a sufficiently homogeneous surface for the drying plaster and increase adhesion. This is followed by POROMAP drying plaster was applied, followed by POROMAP FINITURA CIVILE lime-based finishing mortar to complete the system. This is a natural surface-forming material that provides an aesthetic finish to the renovated wall structure.

Masonry repairs in the basement

In the castle cellar, Mape-Antique Allettamento masonry mortar was used on the entire height of the walls, approximately 2.5 metres, covering a total area of around 3,000 m².

It is a natural hydraulic lime and eco-puccolane based, 100% cement-free mortar, specially developed for historic buildings, and was also selected for its strength and frost resistance for domestic conditions.

Sand can be added to the mortar in up to 20 %, so that the final surface appearance can be matched to the structures in both appearance and texture. The product has the added advantage that it can be used as both a masonry and grouting mortar and is available in four different colours, which can be mixed to produce additional colours.

As with the Poromap system, Primer 3296 can be used prior to the application of Mape-Antique Allettamento.

The revitalized castle not only preserves the heritage of the Tisza family, but also serves as an inspiration to all those who believe that the values of the past are treasures to be preserved in the present. Mapei is proud to have contributed its solutions and expertise to the long-term preservation and protection of the castle building, ensuring a durable and aesthetic end result.

If you are interested in more in-depth information, please contact Mapei's consultants, who will be happy to answer your professional questions, even on-site!