Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The Birth of the Palace of Art
Hungary welcomed the opening of the
Palace of Art
in early 2005, the
latest cultural complex created in the Hungarian capital, which includes a
National Concert Hall, a new home for the Ludwig Museum of Contempo-
rary Art, and the smaller Festival Theater.
The jewel of the crown in this gargantuan complex, situated on the
Danube adjacent to Hungary's National Theater, is the National Concert
Hall, the largest of its kind in Hungary, seating 1,699 with standing room for
an additional 200. The room itself was sealed sonorously from the outside
world and sits in a gargantuan box floating on steel and rubber springs.
There are 66 resonant chambers around the walls, and a 40-ton canopy
above the podium to make sure that listeners hear only the music. Previ-
ously unable to host larger symphonic orchestras in a world-class venue,
Hungary now boasts a truly top-quality contemporary space able to wel-
come the most notable international orchestras—putting the country on
the international classical music map.
The adjacent
Ludwig Museum
hosts temporary exhibitions on the first
floor, while the two above will feature works from the Ludwig collection—
largely American pop art and central European contemporary. The smaller
Festival Theater
hosts contemporary dance and other performing arts events.
The $160-million project was created in a public-private partnership agree-
ment between the Hungarian government and developer TriGránit Develop-
ment Corporation, spearheaded by central European real estate tycoon
Sándor Demján. The developer is using the complex as a template for cultural
and entertainment centers to be built in other central European cities.
The complex is housed in the
Millennium City Center,
a space that prom-
ises to be more than merely a cultural space. Plans dictate the creation of a
conference and tourism-related hub here, of which the Palace of Art and
Hungary's National Theater are the first two main attractions. The same
developers have plans for a convention center, five hotels, office buildings,
a casino and exhibition pavilion, and even a spa.
Zeneakadémia (Ferenc Liszt Academy of Music)
The Great Hall (Nagyterem)
of the Academy of Music, with a seating capacity of 1,200 is—next to the recently
opened National Concert Hall—Budapest's premier concert hall. Hungary's leading
center of musical education, the Academy was built in the early years of the 20th cen-
tury; the building's interior is decorated in lavish Art Nouveau style. If you go to only
one performance in Budapest, it should be at the Opera House, the National Convert
Hall, or here. Unfortunately, the Great Hall is not used in the summer months; the
smaller Kisterem, also a fine hall, is used at that time. Home to the renowned Franz
Liszt Academy of Music since 1907, student recitals can be attended here sometimes
even for free, although the main attractions are major Hungarian and international
performances. A weekly schedule is posted outside the Király utca entrance to the
academy. The box office is open Monday through Friday from 10am to 8pm, and
