The first phase of TóPARK is structurally complete
23, April 2010
Budapest, April 21, 2010 – The first phase of TóPARK has become structurally complete. Upon this occasion Walker and Williams Investment Group S.A. Luxembourg (WWIG) property investment group held the topping-out ceremony in one of the buildings of the edifice complex that is nearly as long as Váci Street. After the celebration, facade construction and interior works are going to commence immediately.
With the completion of the last floor structures, construction of TóPARK’s first phase called Párizsi Street has reached full structurally complete status. Handover/takeover of buildings also took place in the last months, thus under the contracts concluded with the general contractor, Deutsche General Bau Group the contractors of interior works move to the site and relay structural engineers.
At the official topping-out ceremony organized in the city centre the audience was addressed by Erzsébet Szikszay Bádonfai who fulfils the Chief Operating Office position of WWIG Hungary Zrt. Group; Anett Klemencsics, managing director of Európai Innovációs Központ Kft., the investor of the first phase of TóPARK; Zsolt Berta, member of the board of WWIG Hungary Zrt.; furthermore, Dr. Lajos Palovics, mayor of Biatorbágy. In her speech, Erzsébet Szikszay Bádonfai greeted all the professionals and workers who have participated in the construction and the implementation of the project so far. Zsolt Berta, chairman of the board added that the spectacular works were going to be followed by additional large-volume work processes, among others, facade construction and incorporation of the bridge at the motorway intersection. Anett Klemencsics, managing director of EIK Kft. highlighted data of the implementation of TóPARK that set a record and mentioned that structural construction of the first phase meant nearly 2,300,000 working hours. The mayor of Biatorbágy appraised the progress and outstanding quality of the project and wished further success for the implementation on behalf of the municipality that accepted the first phase. The corporate group’s business partners, representatives of banks, tenants and the representatives of the press attended the ceremony.
Facade construction, building of external utilities, mechanical engineering and electric fitting, installation of doors and windows as well as roof installation are going to start in the upcoming weeks.
So far over 100.000 m3 mixed-in-field concrete, 12.000 tons of concrete-reinforcing steel and 7600 piles have been used for the construction of the initial stage of TóPARK, one of the most significant developments of the Central European region. With this volume the project that has recently been elected the world’s best mixed-use development in the award scheme of CNBC Arabiya International Property Awards holds records not only domestically but also internationally.
During the initial phase gross 200.000 square metres of built space is going to arise, whereof over net 93.000 square metres of leasable area are going to house offices and shops and in the direct proximity of the office buildings, on nearly 11.000 sq m more than 150 rental apartments are going to be built. 47 percent of office buildings are currently booked by lease agreements.
In addition to the implementation of buildings, construction of the first direct motorway junction is also in process, which leads traffic from motorway M1 directly to Párizsi Street in TóPARK. Piling and ascending structural works for the construction of the entry and exit to and from the highway started several weeks ago and currently concrete casting of carriageway plates as well as the steel fixing, casing and concrete placement of retaining walls behind the joint bearing of the bridge structure’s two branches are under way. The first test pile group has also been completed on the right side of motorway M1, thus building of the intersection is becoming more and more spectacular.
The investment cost of the first stage is 138 million Euros, while that of the full, complex city centre to be finished by 2020 exceeds 2.4 billion Euros and its future value reaches 4.8 billion Euros.
After the office buildings, shops and rental apartments currently under construction will have been handed over in the first and second quarter of 2011, the development is going to continue with the implementation of additional office buildings, rental apartments, Europe’s longest, roof-covered pedestrian street, a recreation and rehabilitation centre, an open-air and indoors sports complex, expo exhibition space and an educational and event centre, furthermore, upon the initiation of the municipality of Törökbálint, Buda Intermodal Centre (BIC) is going to be built in the area of the city centre to serve not only TóPARK, but also the whole Buda agglomeration as Hungary’s most modern intermodal transport hub.
In the next phase of TóPARK – expectedly during 2011 – the building of TóPARK Shopping Mall, Central Eastern Europe’s largest shopping and entertainment centre is going to start with leasable space of 89.000 square metres.
This is going to be followed by the implementation of the EXPO, Central Europe’s state-of-the-art exhibition centre, the opening of which is expected during 2013-2014.
Source: www.topark.eu
