A mini-exhibition of archival footage also evokes the everyday life of an area of urban historical importance at the time
The City Pearl construction project has reached a milestone of great importance for us as well, as the first building on the project site, the special listed Inn, has been completed. Our sales office has moved here from Városligeti Fasor. To mark the occasion, we held an opening ceremony and inaugurated a mini exhibition on the site, which also presents a glimpse of the past.
The several-hectare site of the former Közvágóhíd was a bustling industrial district, but by the end of the twentieth century it had lost all its function, becoming a derelict, run-down warehouse and storage area. Decades of neglect had left many of the buildings on the site uninhabitable and unsalvageable. However, we are determined to preserve and restore the site’s former importance by preserving and renovating its emblematic parts. The first stage in this process is the rebuilding of the former Inn, which is now being used by sales staff.
The building was inaugurated at a ceremony attended by the customers, investors interested in the project and the property, and a photo exhibition of the building was held. We are also planning an open day for all those interested to find out what life was like on the Middle Bridge and how the Inn was the first building in the area to be renovated. It’s worth following our Facebook page, details will be posted there too.
We wanted to pay homage to the iconic industrial area beyond the restoration, so we have also set up a mini exhibition of large-scale versions of contemporary photos and postcards of everyday life at the Közvágóhíd. The final location of the exhibition is yet to be determined, but it will certainly enhance the project by evoking the area’s former daily life.
The emblematic water tower, also preserved and due for renovation as part of the project, will be the centrepiece of City Pearl. The well-known sculptural figures that adorn the gates on both sides will also be preserved in their original form. The historic importance of the Middle Bridge will be recalled by the restoration of other facades of the building.
It is a rarity on an international scale that an industrial heritage site is being regenerated and preserved in this way, with green gardens, green spaces, cafés, restaurants, hotels, offices and a wide range of shops taking over from the former bustling scene of butchers’ and butchers’ chairs, butchers, deliverymen, assistants and traders. Recreational areas and parks await those who wish to relax in the place of the cobbled streets and concrete docks of the factory and industrial era – while retaining the atmosphere of past centuries.
