Plans for the new community areas on Óbuda Island were presented at the Sziget festival site

A major investment is underway on the southern part of Óbuda Island. The project aims to create a cultural centre, and is being implemented by MultiKulti Zrt., with funds managed by Trustify Befektetési Alapkezelő Zrt..

On Thursday, at a press conference held at the Sziget Festival site, the visual plans for the multifunctional event and cultural centre were presented, which will be built on an area of approximately 27,000 square metres. Our newspaper also reported on the project in May, and now more detailed information has been released.

Starting in September, then steadily progressing

"As part of the project, the first multifunctional outdoor venue for public entertainment will open at the end of September this year, with seven to eight pop-up events to warm you up. The Museum of Light is expected to be open to the public from the beginning of December, in line with the Óbuda Municipality's Advent Fair. The opening of the 5,000 square metre interior, including two halls, is expected within six to ten months. The final part will be the ovisport-park and dogbeach, which will be the most welcoming to the public."

- said Krisztián Kiss, CEO of MultiKulti Zrt..

The company leased the site from the Petőfi Cultural Agency for fifty years. In reply to MTI, Krisztián Kiss explained that the project is still in the planning phase, and the costs will be seen in three to six months. "We are in the process of carrying out a condition survey, for example, for utilities and bridges, and it will depend on this exactly what investment is needed," he said.

They also consulted the Sziget organisers

At the press conference, Krisztián Kiss said that the project will be realized in cooperation with the Sziget festival, "We are already talking with Tamás Kádár, the chief organizer, about how to include this part of Óbuda Island in the event next year" - he said.

Ovisport Park, the playground and dogbeach: accessible to all

He also spoke specifically about the ovisport park, the playground and the dogbeach, which he said is a commitment to make this part of the island accessible to all, presented as the first element of the project in the allocation.

The second element is the creation of one of the largest and most extensive light parks in Europe, and the third is a 1,500 square metre outdoor event space for music, corporate events and weddings, exclusively until 10pm.

"One of the most exciting elements of the project is building H/122, a two-part hall with a total area of 5,000 square metres, with a capacity of 5,000 and 2,000 people respectively. The large multifunctional hall will host sporting events, concerts and conferences, while the smaller one will house Cinema Hall, a music club."

- emphasized Krisztián Kiss.

He noted that the district's residents, as well as the Óbuda municipality and its institutions, will be taken into account in the design of the new cultural arena, with a number of discounts and, in many cases, free services. "For guests who want to have fun, we will set up a safety point where ambulances, firefighters and police officers will be stationed", he said.

Green areas of the island will not be affected

László Kiss László, Mayor of Óbuda said that the development of the area is in line with the interests of the district, meaning that the project guarantees that Hajógyári Island will also serve as a recreational area for the residents of the 3rd district.

"The green areas of the island will remain untouched, the north-south link will be established and everyone will have access to the whole island. The project will be an exciting and vibrant cultural centre for Budapest"

- said the mayor.

An industrial monument would be restored to its pre-WWII state

István Bényei, architect representing B13 Építőművész Kft., said that building H/122, the first part of the former machine shop, was built in the 1870s, a dream industrial monument, and the project aims to restore it to its pre-WWII state. "Our basic concept is that while retaining the visual impact of the large spaces, we would not touch the one hundred and fifty-year-old walls, but would infuse the new features with airy structures, he added.

The service areas of the convention centre will be located on the east side, facing the Danube, including a café.

This is how the community park is planned

Andrea Molnár, Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Ovisport Foundation, reported that the park will be built on an area of 10,000 square meters, which will include a giant boat, a sports field for children, a rope course, two streetball courts, a mini-football field, a recreation park, changing rooms, restrooms and bicycle storage.

István Dávid, founder and managing director of LimeLight Kft., who is responsible for the Museum of Light, said that they work with light projection, light installations, inverted spaces, digital art and they work a lot abroad.

"There will be some elements that are part of the Amsterdam light art collection that will be shown and will travel around the world. In the largest hall, we will build an inverted space offering interactive games", he added.