Villa Esterházy has opened: the renovated home of Esterházy Péter in Rómaifürdő, which will operate as a literary retreat for writers in the future.
The villa was reborn on the initiative of writer Vámos Miklós, with Óbuda-Békásmegyer Local Government taking on the role of owner, and through the pro bono contribution of 50 construction companies led by Market Építő Zrt. In the future it will be managed by the Magyar Irodalom Barátai Alkotóháza Alapítvány (Friends of Hungarian Literature Creative House Foundation).
In the future, the villa will host literary translators and foreign authors as a writers’ retreat, while its ground floor will be the venue for literary evenings and book launches. Esterházy Péter’s former study is planned to become a memorial site open to visitors.
Esterházy Péter, one of the most important figures in Hungarian literature, lived and worked for more than forty years in the building in Rómaifürdő, Budapest. The rescue of the property and its use for public purposes were initiated by writers Vámos Miklós, Dragomán György and Daniel Kehlmann; Óbuda-Békásmegyer Local Government then bought the building, ensuring that the writer’s former home would not be lost but could fulfil a cultural mission.
Market Építő Zrt. undertook, free of charge, the renovation of the building, which had stood empty for six years and was in a seriously dilapidated state. The designs were drawn up, also pro bono, by Hetedik Műterem, led by Ybl Prize-winning architect Szabó Levente, following a one-semester course at the BME Department of Public Building Design.
During the works, the roof was replaced, and the façade was renewed with stone-dust render, painting and impregnation of the plinth stones, while most of the structures and details (such as the original windows and doors, which faithfully reflect the building’s repeated remodelling) were restored. The outdoor terrace paving was replaced, and the entire electrical network was installed with new wiring and controls. The necessary insulation work was carried out, the building services and heating system were modernised, and a complete interior aesthetic restoration was completed, including landscaping of the garden.
As a result of the work, the property has become technically more up to date, more energy-efficient and aesthetically more coherent, ensuring comfortable and safe use in the long term. Many of Market’s partner companies joined the initiative, contributing materials or skilled labour for the renovation.
Source: MTI