Wing completed the development of the revitalised Gizella Loft office building, in the heart of Zugló, in fall 2020. The building offers 8,500 sqm of office space. Its redevelopment has transformed it into a Class A, people-oriented and cost-efficient space ready to welcome future tenants. The main tenant which had already occupied the building, TÜV Rheinland Intercert Kft., committed itself to the Gizella Loft in 2019, and in September 2020 took occupancy of the space designed according to its needs.
Despite the extraordinary circumstances last year, work on the Gizella Loft office building proceeded according to schedule, with construction and reconstruction works bringing the project to completion. As a result of Wing’s development, the former manufacturing building – which for many years had been vacant – was given a new function, and today offers almost 8,500 sqm of office space, located in a green micro-environment. Due to its previous function as a manufacturing facility, the office building features exceptionally high ceilings of approx. 4 m, with a large load-bearing capacity. The windows running the entire length of the facade make the Loft experience complete. TÜV Rheinland InterCert Kft. signed a long-term lease agreement for nearly 6,000 sqm of space in 2019, and was able to take occupancy of its new, central office in September of last year, upon completion of the construction works tailored to the needs of the company.
“We are more than a simple tenant since many of our tests require special infrastructure. During the construction and reconstruction, Wing gave us all the assistance we needed. We are pleased that TÜV Rheinland InterCert Kft. has found its home for the long term in this beautiful space,” says Miklós Novák, managing director of TÜV Rheinland InterCert Kft.
As requested, TÜV Rheinland’s spaces include spacious offices as well as telephone meeting rooms and conference rooms, which employees may book using a central system. The office also includes a comfortable main dining area with a kitchenette, which also serves as a collaborative workspace to be used by employees working on different floors. Thanks to its technical design, the building – in addition to housing TÜV Rheinland’s main offices – is also home to TÜV Rheinland’s central testing laboratory, a highly complex technical facility equipped with some of the most cutting-edge testing equipment. The full spectrum of laboratory activities will include thermal, light technology, electromagnetic, high voltage, IP protection, household, and medical technology tests.
The office building is located in an office park comprising several buildings. Following its transformation and complete renovation, building no. 9, erected in the 1970s, has been renamed Gizella Loft. While the complete structure of the building was preserved during the reconstruction, tenants will take occupancy of office spaces boasting brand-new interiors. With no need for major demolition or construction works during the project, Wing’s activity did not place undue burdens on the environment.
The project saw the revival of an existing, vacant building which was previously used for manufacturing activities. Given an entirely new function, the building was renovated in accordance with environmental protection standards. The facility was modernised using energy-efficient LED lighting, heat pump technical systems and innovative, automated energy-efficient systems which make the building’s energy consumption highly competitive even compared to many newly built office buildings.
According to Wing’s deputy CEO for office developments, Norbert Schőmer, there remains untapped development potential not only near the Zugló transportation hub but elsewhere along the Hungária körút as well. As an office developer, he places special emphasis on meeting needs which call for office work and technological activities to be performed at the same location: “We believe that there is a new Budapest office corridor emerging along the Hungária körút and its key intersections, including where the Gizella Loft is situated. The recently completed office building is appealing for a number of important reasons: it is easily accessible, is located in an urban area, yet is surrounded by greenery, and as a workplace, it is environmentally conscious, flexible and cost-efficient. Another important aspect is that companies engaged in R&D and technological activities have not been able to establish a presence in Budapest’s office areas to date, or have been forced to separate their office and technological activities. The Gizella Loft building meets both of these demands at the same time, and we are delighted that – together with TÜV Rheinland – we have been able to show the solutions Wing can offer to similar specialised needs,” says Norbert Schőmer.
