MTA, as it is preparing for its 200th anniversary, plans to welcome members of the science community and those interested in science in a more open, better equipped and sustainably operating building thanks to the revamp, the academy said.

The headquarters in Széchenyi Istvan Square in Budapest was built from public donations between 1862 and 1865, marking the start of neo-Renaissance historicism in the city.

The revamp will involve the headquarters on a total floor space of 12,000sqm and a building behind it which currently houses the library.

One of the aims is to increase the proportion of public spaces and open new exhibition halls to make the building more accessible to the public and also provide disabled access.

MTI Photo: Csaba Jaszai