Kelenföld Power Plant
A marvel of technology a century ago, this disused power station now offers a lovely glimpse into the industrial design of the past.
Built in 1914 and considered one of the most modern electrical plants in the world, the art-deco facility was designed by Hungarian architects Kálmán Reichl and Virgil Bierbauer as a tribute to the power of electricity. The buildings, shut down in 2005, are protected by law and cannot be restored or demolished.
The power plant isn't technically abandoned, several apocalyptic movie scenes and music videos have been filmed at Kelenföld. The below shown art deco control room and the old transformer houses are, however, strictly closed to the public.
Blade Runner Power Plant
The thermal power plant was the largest industrial investment in Hungary in the 1950s.
At its peak, it could have provided electricity for the whole of Budapest's street lighting and tram traffic. Its three huge, impressive cooling tower, with their then innovative water-cooled technology were a revolutionary achievement.
By the 1980s the pollution caused by the plant became a growing concern, releasing 120 tonnes of sulfur dioxide into the air in a single day of operation. Reconstructions and demolitions of the ageing power plant continued through the 1990s, and by March 2000 the peak gas turbine plant was no longer in operation. By this time the plant output had shrunk to barely a tenth of its peak output, and the coal-fired power plant was finally shut down on December 30 2001.
In 2017, several scenes from Blade Runner 2049 were shot here. As a tribute, all pictures were edited to match with its striking visual style.
