BBT Hotel and apartment building

Architect: DVM Design Ltd.
Client: DVM Group
Principal: B&L Gruppe
Location: Budapest
Year: 2018-21
24,000 m2

Subject: Supervision and engineering support in the construction phase.

Specialty: Rethinking an abandoned project with a new static concept and the necessary bridging solutions.

An office building was planned to be built on the property in question. The project commenced in 2007 but the construction was suspended due to the bankruptcy of the investor caused by the crisis of 2008. Only the substructure was completed including the diaphragm shoring, the raft and the metro line ventilation structure in part.

The long-term stability of the excavation was not satisfactory since the shoring was temporarily supported. The owner at that time completed the permanent substructure to the extent needed at level -2 and -3 thus the stability of the adjacent buildings was secured.

Following the liquidation of the previous owner, B&L – the German property developer – purchased the property. They planned to implement a project consisting of a 3-star hotel on the Baross square side and a residential building on the Mosonyi street side.

The challenge at design was given by the offset between the grid line systems of the existing substructure and the planned superstructure. We had designed transfer beams and reinforced the slabs in order to provide vertical load transfer between the vertical load bearing structures which were not aligned.

All demolition and construction works had been designed with consideration to the stability of the adjacent buildings. As a safety measure, a continuous displacement monitoring system was implemented on site to make sure movements were within the limits throughout the whole construction.

The concept for the redesign had been developed in close cooperation with the German Prüfstatiker, Weiske & Partner, in accordance with German standards and in line with accepted engineering principles and practice.