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The historic building, which has undergone complete reconstruction in recent years, won the prestigious award in the Monument Restoration and Building Rehabilitation category.
“The award for the renovation of the Csokonai National Theatre building also shows that Debrecen places great emphasis on, preserves, and protects its built heritage,” Deputy Mayor István Puskás said at the press conference held on site on the 15th of January 2025.
He said, “This building is a true emblem of this, the renovation of which was completed about a year and a half ago, and the result is a building that combines contemporary solutions with the preservation of the built heritage.” He added that this is not the only building in the civic city to receive the Award of Excellence, as in previous years, the Aquaticum Strand, the International School of Debrecen, and the Life Sciences Center building of the University of Debrecen have also received the award.
The city leader reminded us that the Debrecen local government launched a program for preserving built heritage last year, which will continue this year. He said, “The previous year saw the project launch to renovate the apartment building on the corner of St. Anne and Batthyány Streets, which the city is supporting with a significant amount of 200 million forints. He noted that similar cooperation is planned with the Svetits apartment building in 2025.”
István Puskás emphasised that in addition to these, increasing the number of locally protected buildings and expanding local protection is a priority task. He highlighted that their goal is to protect and preserve the city’s built heritage, adding that the Csokonai National Theatre has become a real community space for the people of Debrecen, which shows the country, the world, and ourselves what it means to be a citizen of Debrecen.
Designer András Tisza and HUNÉP CEO Miklós Bakos also attended the press conference. Miklós Bakos recalled that the theatre renovation was a special task for them from the moment they took over. He said, “The reconstruction of the building with a history of 150-160 years was not an ordinary project, and from the first minute, all their cooperating partners, subcontractors, and their colleagues approached the work with this discipline and devotion.” He noted that the renovation was also a great challenge from a professional point of view since they were installing technologies that are rarely encountered by themselves and the European construction industry. Miklós Bakos mentioned as an example the world-class stage technology and all the technical solutions that belong to the top category in theatre.
Architect Péter Kovács recalled the past and said that the building of the Csokonai Theatre, which was opened in 1865, was designed by a young architect. Still, the construction technology and technical equipment of that time were not so advanced, so certain disadvantages remained as time passed. “The theatre itself is an institution that is undergoing continuous transformation in its genre; it has to meet many criteria, including how much it wants to meet the current era,” he noted.
The director of the Csokonai National Theatre in Debrecen, Szabolcs Mátyássy, could not attend the event in person due to illness, but he sent a letter to the participants. In it, he wrote, among other things, that the renewed theatre will attract visitors with performances and guided tours led by theatre artists. “Just as our viewers can experience the age of dualism and the elegance of the old Debrecen in the auditorium, our theatre’s technical staff can work with modern stage technology that meets the needs of the 21st century every day,” the director highlighted.
Source and photo credit: debrecen.hu
