RTL Hungary moves into Liget Center developed by WING
2024-09-09
One of Hungary's largest commercial TV channels, RTL Hungary, has moved into its new downtown home, Liget Center, developed and owned by WING and located next to the City Park (Városliget), celebrated by an opening ceremony. The reconstruction of the building complex itself is a real estate development feat, as a listed building of outsanding artistic and historical value was reborn in the form of a unique office complex, where WING preserved the original modernist architectural features, while incorporating the latest technology and the special functional needs of RTL's broadcasting activities.
Liget Center, developed and owned by WING, a leading real estate development and investment group in the Central European real estate market, has recently undergone a significant transformation, unique in the Hungarian real estate market. During the renovation, the listed building complex, Liget Center Auditorium and Classic, was reborn as a modern, sustainable office complex, preserving its architectural values at the same time.
One of the key elements of the development concept is the reconstruction of the Liget Center Auditorium, whose façade facing Városligeti fasor is adorned with the relief sculpture titled “Építőmunkások” (Construction Workers). The building, which has been modernised for RTL's newsroom and studios, was the congress block of the former MÉMOSZ (National Federation of Hungarian Construction Workers) headquarters, which has been enjoying protection since 1999. The renovation focused on preserving the historic character of the building, the special technological needs of RTL Hungary along with ESG considerations. Liget Center Auditorium is a unique development in the Hungarian office market: a more than 70-year-old facility has been transformed into a near-zero energy building with an "A" energy efficiency and an "A+” CO2 emission efficiency rating.
Liget Center Auditorium is home to RTL's news directorate and the studios for news and infotainment programmes, and the new base will be used for broadcasting widely known programmes such as RTL News, the Weather Report and Fókusz.
The Liget Center Classic building houses the commercial media company's business premises in the Dózsa György út part of the complex. The location near Városliget and the wide range of high quality cultural, sporting and entertainment activities within easy reach give RTL employees a real metropolitan feel. Moreover, thanks to the central location, the News Directorate's staff are now even closer to the events, making the production of news programmes easier and faster. The media company has named its downtown base RTL Liget, which is reflected in the green RTL logo on the roof of the building on Dózsa György út, blending harmoniously into the surroundings.
”We are delighted that RTL Hungary has chosen Liget Center as its new downtown base. The Liget Center fits perfectly with our office development goals of building state-of-the-art, high-quality, sustainably operated headquarters that meet the needs and vision of renowned domestic and multinational tenants in good locations," said Noah Steinberg, Chairman & CEO of WING, and added, "Our Group has delivered a number of major headquarters projects over the past 25 years, tailored to the specific needs of large corporations. However, a commercial media company has specific technological needs, which also presented us with a significant professional challenge, but I believe our team successfully met these challenges. We thank RTL Hungary for their trust and wish them a lot of success in their new home!"
”The RTL Liget is another important step in our company's long-standing transformation. This modern environment enables us to further enhance RTL's efficiency, increase our speed, and fully capitalize on the opportunities of cross-functional collaboration, allowing us to respond to consumer demands even faster." said Gabriella Vidus, CEO of RTL Hungary.
The designer responsible for the renovation of Liget Center Auditorium was TIBA Architect Studio, the general construction was carried out by WORKUP, the specialised division of FITOUT Zrt., and the interior design was executed by LAB5 architects.
The Liget Center project will be completed this autumn, when a brand new boutique office building called Liget Center Vitrum will be built next to the buildings that serve as RTL's main base. Vitrum is a near-zero energy building that offers a total of 2,200 square metres of leasable office space on six floors, with a range of green and smart solutions for tenants looking for a downtown location.
