Construction plans of the renewing Király bath has been unveiled
Posted by Budnews · Jan 22, 2018

The ruined building will be better and more beautiful than ever.

Király is one of the most famous baths in Budapest, and one of the baths currently operating in the capital, which was built during the Turkish occupation of Buda. Unfortunately, the building is in critical condition and waiting for being renewed for many years. Finally, Budapest Spas Plc. decided: they announced a tender last year and now presented its best bids.

The announcement was not just about a renewal but also about minor enlargement and transformation. On the one hand, the management of the bath would move the main entrance from Fő Street to the Ganz Street running next to the building, and would like to have a new swimming pool of 20 or 25 meters. The existing buildings would be divided into two zones: a Turkish zone and a wellness area. In addition, there was a demand to cover the currently open yard and to construct a possible exhibition space.

The renovation of Király Bath is a big challenge for architects because it’s not a unified building complex. The construction of this Bath was begun by Arslan, the Pasha of Buda in 1565 and was completed by his successor, Sokoli Mustafa. Following the reoccupation of Buda, the Bath was acquired in 1796 by the König family. They rebuilt it to its current form, combining the old with the new, and preserving its monumental character, found even in the name of the Bath. Stemming from the name of the family, it translates from Hungarian (Király=King=König). In World War II, the Bath was damaged. Its complete renovation was accomplished in 1950.

Now a total of 24 bidding was signed, and the jury found the best three:

The plan of 3h architecture office became the first, who would try to preserve the airy state of the construction and doesn’t mind the already existing buildings. They would only demolish the expansion of 20th century and build the 20-meter-long new swimming pool with a garden connection.

The second was Archicon Kft.'s plan: this was the only one that would leave the entrance on the Fő Street alleyway, as a tribute to the memory of the old days. The plan includes a restaurant on the Ganz Street section and an important element was the extrication of the colonnade: the pillars of the inner courtyard are currently captured by doors and windows.


The third place went to Gereben Marián Architect’s Office. While most of the applications would barely transform the Turkish bathing area and only promised conservation, this project contains two new thermal pools in the oldest part of the building. The colonnade is an important element of this plan too, and they also plan a new a garden.


The ultimate outcome is not yet known, but these three have become the best. If everything happens according to the plans, the bath closes in 2019 because of the renovation.

  • budapest
  • Király bath
  • renewing
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