The ceiling of the banqueting hall in the most important neo-Renaissance building in Hungary also hides secrets

The Fejér-B.Á.L. Zrt. is being renewed in a consortium with the Épkar Zrt. and Vitruvius Kft. in a joint consortium. The first phase of the multi-stage construction project is nearing completion: the complete reconstruction of the roof structure is proceeding according to plan, while specialist work is also continuing on the interior, which will see the building's cooling, heating and ventilation systems completely renovated and the ceremonial hall fully restored.

A symbol of universal scientific excellence, the MTA's headquarters on Széchenyi Square in Budapest has been towering over the Danube since 1865. Friedrich August Stüler's neo-Renaissance building marked the beginning of historicism in Hungary, and its architecture and spirit had a decisive influence on the future of Hungarian architecture.

Replacement of the entire roof structure

At several points in recent years, the renovation of the Academy building has become a matter of urgency. The representative 160-year-old headquarters of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, founded in 1825, bears the hand of architects Antal Szkalnitzky and Miklós Ybl, whose murals were created by Károly Lotz and Antal Ligeti.The institution will celebrate its 200th anniversary in 2025, by which time the contractors will have completed the first phase of the multi-year renovation project KÖZTI.

The main task of the reconstruction is the complete renovation of the roof, the restoration and modernisation of the windows on the main façade. The ceremonial hall will be completely renovated, the sphinxes will be returned to the building and the candelabra on the building will be completed.

A new steel structure, new layering and new natural slate will be built after the demolition of the old roof, said consortium leader Fejér-B.Á.L..

The contractor informed us that the current completion is approximately 60%. During the renovation of the roof structure, the existing slate roofing was demolished together with the entire roof structure, the new one was built with steel supports and the cladding will be made with natural slate: the red-coloured slate of the Rachek type, also used in the Buda Castle Palace, will be used.

Secrets hidden in the ceiling of the banqueting hall

A serious restoration presence is needed for the renovations. While the exterior of the building requires restoration work (the sphinxes that highlight the corners will be reinstalled above the cornice of the main façade, the balustrade will be restored to close the roof, and the lion heads that were dismantled in the 20th century will be replaced on the coronation parapet), in the ceremonial hall, painting restorers will work on the secco.

The restoration of the roof in the Gallery is carried out with the presence of a metal conservator, and the dismantling and reinstallation of the plaster elements in the Gallery is also a restoration job. The renovation and possible replacement of the façade windows and the carpentry work in the ceremonial hall will also require the services of a conservator.

The refurbishment of the banqueting hall started with a condition survey, which revealed that the secco paintings on the ceiling were in a precarious state. During the excavation, the plaster was drilled in a few places and an endoscopic camera examination was carried out. On the basis of this, the experts concluded that the plaster needed to be conserved and strengthened. The plaster on the ceiling was therefore strengthened by injection, which was carried out by the restorers using special materials and injection needles.

The excavations revealed that the chandelier in the middle of the banqueting hall is suspended by a Kossuth coat of arms in Hungarian crowns, covered with ornamental painting.

It was painted during the ceiling renovation in the 1950s, and the original paintwork could be retrieved during the current renovation. The painters of the Rákosi era did not disturb the old coat of arms - they "just painted it off" - so it could be perfectly restored to its original form.

For conservation purposes, the entire room had to be scaffolded, as this was the only way to access the ceiling. While the work was being carried out, it occurred to me that if the scaffolding was already in place and the restorers were here, it would be a good idea to renovate the entire surface. This idea met with the client's approval, so that a high-quality restoration of the entire ceiling could be carried out," said the contractor.