Budapest Airport: Terminal 1 Converted Into An Event Center

  • 16 Oct 2012 9:00 AM
Budapest Airport: Terminal 1 Converted Into An Event Center
Terminal 1 at Budapest Airport has reopened, four months after its closure, after an event center has been established in the empty passenger terminal. As previously envisaged, Budapest Airport decided to maintain the condition of the valuable building, which will thus be put to use once again. The Terminal 1 Airport Event Center will host corporate and private events as of 1 October.

Budapest Airport was forced to close Terminal 1 in May, but the building has now re-opened from 1 October as the Terminal 1 Airport Event Center. As asset manager, Budapest Airport already announced during the closure that it will continue to take good care of the building, maintaining the excellent condition of Terminal 1, and, as part of that, it will review how best to utilize the terminal for a different function.

With the involvement of external partners, the airport operator has now established the Terminal 1 Airport Event Center, which enables the use of the building as an event venue to host corporate and private events.

Terminal 1, shaped like an aircraft when viewed from above, is nearly 2000 square meters, and boasts three halls on the ground floor, a spacious mezzanine level and a terrace overlooking the runway. There is no doubt that the vicinity of the airport and the Bauhaus-style terminal building offers unparalleled opportunities for event organizers. In addition to the unique characteristics, it is also able to accommodate 400 vehicles in its car park, and is fully accessible for persons with reduced mobility. According to Budapest Airport’s concept, the terminal building could primarily serve as the ideal location for large, exclusive events such as gala dinners, conferences, partner meetings and car shows.

The building is also available for film shoots, as it is nearly impossible to shoot in a real-life but empty terminal anywhere in Europe. At Budapest Airport, it is possible to avoid the high cost of building large sets. No wonder that a 400-strong crew from the manufacturer and from Mid-Atlantic Films used Terminal 1 as background in some of the scenes for the fifth installment of the popular Die Hard series (A Good Day to Die Hard). Major scenes were also shot in front of the maintenance hangars and Terminal 2.

The building was designed in 1939 by Károly Dávid junior, and was opened in 1950. It is now under monument protection, and was renovated extensively in 2005, so it was fully capable of serving thousands of passengers per day. However, as of 30 May Budapest Airport relocated all passenger operations to Terminal 2 as part of its cost-saving measures introduced in response to the bankruptcy of the Hungarian national carrier Malév. The passenger circulation areas of Terminal 1 have been standing empty since then. The lounges, the mezzanine level and the terrace will now be populated once again with the opening of the new event center.

“We are proud of the fact that we have established the most special and unique event venue in Hungary, if not the region, at the former terminal building located next to the apron and the runway,” commented Andrea Trencsén, head of aviation marketing and product development for Budapest Airport. “Our objective is to host prestigious events which correspond to the high quality of Terminal 1,” she added.

Budapest Airport and its partners will hold an open day for event and conference organizers at the new Terminal 1 Airport Event Center on Tuesday 16 October. The first events could then be scheduled at the terminal within weeks.

Source: Budapest Airport

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