HOME | DD

Description
To explore this, we drove 651 km from home. In a foreign country, not knowing the language, we didn't know if we would be able to get inside.

When Kelenföld Power Plant started generating electricity in 1914, it was one of the most advanced plants of its day—though it was modernized and expanded several times since then to serve the changing energy demands of the surrounding districts.

The outdated section of the power plant, which is showcased below, isn't completely abandoned since it's in private ownership these days. But the two main attractions—the legendary control room and the old transformer house—are closed to the public, despite the fact that both are considered masterpieces of early 20th century industrial design.

The buildings, designed and built by Kálmán Reichl and Virgil Borbíró (Bierbauer) between 1927 and 1929, are protected by law, which means they'll never be demolished. Sadly, in this case this means that they aren't being touched at all, even for basic maintenance, so their condition has clearly worsened during the past few years. Only production companies benefit from this kind of perpetual decay.

The grandeur of early industrial buildings like this one reflect the optimism of the early 20th century—and even a bit of the 21st. Today, the brutally beautiful machinery, haunting hallways and silent chambers seem to echo with the buzz of the now-silent Bauhaus-era transformation house. From the stunning Art Deco glass ceiling of the control room, to the intricate switches, knobs, and gauges, to the gorgeous coil voltage: These spaces form a shrine to electricity, reflecting a vision straight out of Jules Verne's fantasy world.

More Kelenfold Power Plant in Budapest
www.deviantart.com/lantret/gal…

Description
To explore this, we drove 651 km from home. In a foreign country, not knowing the language, we didn't know if we would be able to get inside.

When Kelenföld Power Plant started generating electricity in 1914, it was one of the most advanced plants of its day—though it was modernized and expanded several times since then to serve the changing energy demands of the surrounding districts.

The outdated section of the power plant, which is showcased below, isn't completely abandoned since it's in private ownership these days. But the two main attractions—the legendary control room and the old transformer house—are closed to the public, despite the fact that both are considered masterpieces of early 20th century industrial design.

The buildings, designed and built by Kálmán Reichl and Virgil Borbíró (Bierbauer) between 1927 and 1929, are protected by law, which means they'll never be demolished. Sadly, in this case this means that they aren't being touched at all, even for basic maintenance, so their condition has clearly worsened during the past few years. Only production companies benefit from this kind of perpetual decay.

The grandeur of early industrial buildings like this one reflect the optimism of the early 20th century—and even a bit of the 21st. Today, the brutally beautiful machinery, haunting hallways and silent chambers seem to echo with the buzz of the now-silent Bauhaus-era transformation house. From the stunning Art Deco glass ceiling of the control room, to the intricate switches, knobs, and gauges, to the gorgeous coil voltage: These spaces form a shrine to electricity, reflecting a vision straight out of Jules Verne's fantasy world.

More Kelenfold Power Plant in Budapest
www.deviantart.com/lantret/gal…