Another block of flats could be extended by two storeys in the Ferencváros regeneration area

The local council of Ferencváros is continuing with the refurbishment of buildings in the regeneration area. Building refurbishments and housing programmes are continuing; in 2026, five council-owned residential blocks are set to be refurbished: 54 Haller Street, 23 and 25 Gát Street, and 8/A and 8/B Márton Street; A total of 110 new flats will be created in these buildings. Of these, a call for tenders has now been issued for the redevelopment of the residential building at 54 Haller Street. The historicist corner building will undergo extensive modernisation and have an extra storey added, resulting in 36 modern flats instead of the previous 32. The successful bidder will have 600 days to complete the full-scale refurbishment. Application deadline: 19 October.

The building, which originally comprised a cellar, a ground floor and three storeys, is being extended by demolishing the unbuilt attic space and adding a new fourth storey of reinforced concrete and a fifth attic level with a steel structure and metal sheet roofing.

One of the wings of the building will also have to be demolished

The building’s functional layout will also be significantly redesigned: the basement level will house modern technical installations and storage areas, whilst the ground floor will feature a retail unit or storage space with direct street access, a communal space, bicycle storage areas covered by a green roof, and two accessible flats connected to the inner courtyard. The winning contractor must create eight flats on each of the first three storeys. Of the flats in the extension, the aim is to build six on the fourth floor – each with a terrace facing the street – and four on the top floor, each facing the inner courtyard.

The structure in the inner courtyard of the Telepy Street wing will be demolished, and in its place a completely new, monolithic reinforced concrete circulation core will be built, featuring a new stairwell and lift, which will ensure barrier-free vertical access.

The dilapidated suspended walkways will also be demolished; they will be replaced by new reinforced concrete walkways supported by steel columns, which can also be used as terraces and are secured with modern thermal bridge breaks.

Rethinking interior spaces

During the interior refurbishment, the flats are re-partitioned using modern, multi-layered plasterboard partitions with excellent sound insulation, allowing the internal layouts to be completely redesigned to meet today’s housing needs.

The alterations and extensions will place a significant additional load on the structure; the contractor will therefore need to reinforce the ground beneath the building’s foundations by means of grouting and installing new reinforced concrete floor slabs; the old timber floor structures must also be replaced with reinforced concrete structures.

A dual identity

Whilst the missing decorative elements and mouldings of the street-facing, listed façade are being restored to their original condition under the supervision of conservators – indeed, the windows and doors are being replaced with traditional, stained timber-framed windows – the ground floor facing the street is being fitted with new, uniform timber portals. Meanwhile, the inner courtyard façade will be given a fresh, contemporary look, featuring triple-glazed windows and well-maintained green-roofed surfaces.