The Market Hall of Hunyadi Square, 4-5 Hunyadi Square

Source: MESZL Budapest Collection

The Hunyadi Square was built in the middle of the 19^th century, in parallel with the planning of Andrássy Road in the 1870s. The name became official in 1874.

On Hunyadi Square, two public buildings can be found: one the Market Hall Nr. 4, which stands along Szófia street, starting from the southeast corner of the square and reaches into Eötvös street; the other is the Barnabás Pesti High School and Technical School of Food Industry on the northwest side of the square, on the corner of Vörösmarty street. The other side of the road in front of the Market Hall is almost completely taken up by the open-air market in a narrow strip. Past that is the fenced park, which has a fountain, bandstand, playground, sports field and also a kiosk containing a café and restrooms.

 
Győző Czigler, architect (left) and his plan for the Market Hall (right)
Source: Wikipedia, MESZL Budapest Collection

The Market Hall is one of the smallest, cosy and protected market buildings of the capital city. It was built according to Győző Cziegler’s plans in 1897. Its style is similar to the four other market halls built at the same time. The hall has three naves and was constructed in a basilical style. The steel supports of the roof structure are elliptical and riveted. The ornaments of the outer façade are gypsum stucco bull and pig heads on the pillars of the walls. The keystones of the semicircle windows have heads of satyrs, while the soffit boards are decorated with palmette ornaments and lion heads. During the era of Socialism, the insides of the hall were massively vandalized, but in the side naves we can still find the original stands with their cast-iron ornaments and railings.

   
Source: pestbuda.hu, Wikipedia, epiteszforum.hu

The building stands out among the others around Hunyadi Square, much different in its façade than the usual marketplaces. Looking from the square, the Market Hall looks like a traditional apartment house, and only the façade of the sides indicates its actual function.

The history of the square is closely tied to the planning of the late Boulevard, which was one block away, then its later, most important function was defined by the construction of the current Andrássy Road. The new main road for traffic of Budapest touched the central marketplace of Theresatown, the former Hermina Square, but then this valuable – from a city-planning standpoint – public square was built on, thanks to the property policy of the time. Now it is known as the Hungarian National Opera House. Because of this, the marketplace there had to relocate, which became an area by Boulevard, still unfurbished but already called Hunyadi Square.

   
Source: Wikipedia

A private firm proposed the construction of a market hall in 1882, which was to be executed by the Legislature Committee at its own expenses. This only came to be 15 years later, at the same time as the other four market halls, and even though this building was planned out first, it was named Nr. 4. After the market of Hunyadi Square moved into the hall – just like the markets of Klauzál Square and Rákóczi Square into their own halls – the squares went through landscaping in 1898.

The history of the open-air marketplace, which continued to operate for decades despite the Market Hall’s presence, is hard to follow from various sources. For example, the committee approved the seasonal markets in 1898 in the market halls, but people could only exclusively sell fruits from carts in wholesale amounts. However, the farmers’ markets of today could only be created after World War II, plus the vendors sold their wares from basements.

  
Source: sporttipp.hu, welovebudapest.com, foursquare.com

By the end of the 1980s, the square and the market hall had been worn down into a poor condition. In 1989, a design study was born for the detailed reconstruction of the hall in phases up to 1991, including the farmers’ market. However, nothing came of this plan. At last, the municipal council decided in 2015 to renovate the Market Place of Hunyadi Square. They started the works in 2017, renewing the façade completely, restoring it as per the original plans. This phase was finished in 2019.

 
Before renovation
Source: Wikipedia

The renovation of the interior is for the near future. According to the plans, the façade on Szófia street would be opened, making the nearby streets pedestrian-friendly. Since the goal is to have the Market Hall not just as a marketplace, but a community space, as well, so the plans include the goal to have cultural events inside the hall in the future.

Source: pestbuda.hu