Renovation of a world-record-holding building begins in Kelenföld

The latest news regarding BKK draws attention to an architectural gem that is largely unknown to the general public: the Kelenföld bus depot, with its unique roof structure (BKV), is undergoing renovation.

The building was erected between 1939 and 1941 on Hamzsabégi út in Buda, based on designs by Jenő Padányi Gulyás. However, we must also highlight the brilliant structural engineering designs of Dr István Menyhárd: with a span of 82 metres, the building was constructed as the world’s largest shell-structured hall at the time.

Demolition and construction in parallel

According to a statement from BKV, the roof structure, covering almost 9,000 square metres, will be fitted with new waterproofing and thermal insulation during the refurbishment. The works are expected to be completed before the end of this year, and operations at the site will continue uninterrupted throughout the refurbishment.

Demolition and construction work is being carried out in parallel by the specialists: the insulation is being removed from the roof structure, which consists of eight domes, and at the same time, new insulation is being installed in the section that has already been demolished, they wrote.

Water leaks have become increasingly common

As can be seen, the last major refurbishment of the assembly hall in this approximately ninety-year-old building took place in the 1980s. Since then, the waterproofing has deteriorated, leading to increasingly frequent water ingress, which has made a complete modernisation necessary. As a result of this investment, the technical condition of the building, which is listed as an industrial heritage site, can be preserved in the long term.

The Kelenföld bus depot is one of the key bus depots for the capital’s public transport system: on weekdays, 143 buses are deployed from the depot, primarily to serve South Buda and several key city centre routes. The depot also plays an important role in maintaining the BKV fleet of heritage vehicles.