Among the applicants for 2025, the country’s largest construction-industry advocacy body awarded the Construction Industry Excellence Award in the public building/office category to the three-building Liget Center complex (Classic, Auditorium, and Vitrum). The award - one of the most respected professional honours in the industry – recognises the high-quality work of developers, designers, and contractors. The award evaluated both the completed buildings and the construction process in a comprehensive manner. The assessment of submitted applications considered the general architectural and technical quality of the buildings, the technical and engineering standards of the execution, economic aspects, and the cooperation among all stakeholders, including the developer, designer, and contractor.

Liget Center, developed by WING, is a defining element of the revitalised urban area along City Park (Városliget) and Dózsa György Road. The project involved the full-scale reconstruction of the heritage-protected former MÉMOSZ (National Association of Hungarian Construction Workers) headquarters, the Liget Center Classic and Auditorium, as well as the construction of a new six-story, premium boutique office building, Liget Center Vitrum. Since summer 2024, the Classic and Auditorium buildings have housed RTL Hungary’s news directorate, studios, and offices, while the renowned international law firm Wolf Theiss is set to move into the Classic building in early 2026. The brand-new Vitrum building provides modern office spaces in the city centre.

“The development was exemplary both in heritage preservation and architectural execution, allowing a unique building of Hungarian modernism being reborn as a contemporary office complex. We are proud that the Construction Industry Excellence Award once again confirms this exceptionally complex work. For WING, it is particularly important to create valuable, sustainable, and forward-looking buildings that preserve Budapest’s architectural heritage while offering modern spaces suited to today’s needs,” said Gábor Angel, Deputy CEO of WING, responsible for office development projects.

Sustainability played a key role throughout the project: the buildings received an “A” or higher energy efficiency rating, the Vitrum building holds a BREEAM “Very Good” certification, and the entire complex operates on 100% green electricity. The more than 70-year-old Auditorium building was renovated as a nearly zero-energy building, making it one of the greenest heritage buildings in Hungary today.

The project was designed by TIBA Architect Studio, with general construction carried out by WORKUP, FITOUT's specialised division, landscaping by S73 Studio, project management by Tomlin, and interior design of the RTL areas by LAB5 architects.

“When designing Liget Center Classic and Auditorium, we created a unique environment tailored to RTL Hungary’s needs. We are especially pleased to have restored a modernist heritage building, bringing it back into active use after more than 30 years. The project’s success is the result of close collaboration among the owner, tenant, heritage authorities, and design and construction teams, all working together to achieve a high-quality result. The building’s functionality, aesthetics, and technological solutions all reflect this harmony. For us, the Excellence Award confirms that quality architecture and effective collaboration can create lasting value,” said Viktória Ladányi, Managing Partner of TIBA Architect Studio.

"A distinctive feature of the Vitrum Office Building is that it was constructed on top of an existing four-storey underground car park, which required the complete replacement of the level -4 foundation slab - likely the only project of its kind in Hungary. The heritage-protected Auditorium building gained a new function, with offices and TV studios integrated. This project demonstrates how a 21st-century leading media company, RTL, can have a headquarters that meets heritage regulations while incorporating forward-looking, innovative office solutions. The Auditorium includes special construction solutions such as opening the barrel roof with a new glass top and installing a new plexiglass ceiling, subtly referencing the old wavy Cuban reed ceiling, while entirely new mechanical and electrical systems were installed between the two structures. The Excellence Award is a prestigious professional recognition that reinforces our ability to deliver complex general contracting projects,” said András Pálffy, CEO of FITOUT Zrt.

The development also contributed to preserving and enriching the cultural and architectural identity of the area: WING restored István Tar’s “Builders” relief and returned Dezső Lányi’s “Construction Workers” sculpture to its original location, further strengthening Budapest’s artistic heritage.