Budapest Planetarium renovation plans to be presented to government

Zoltán Tanács, the Minister of Science and Technology, announced that a detailed proposal regarding the future of the Budapest Planetarium will be presented to the government in early September. Two primary development concepts are being considered.

The first option involves a full renovation of the existing building to create a modern, 21st-century planetarium, a process estimated to take three to four years. The second, more ambitious option is the creation of an international-scale science center, which could take between six and eight years to complete.

Recent inspections by the Hungarian Museum of Science, Technology and Transport revealed that while the building's structural condition is better than expected, the heating and cooling systems and auxiliary rooms require significant work. The facility's iconic Zeiss Universal VI optical projector is also in poor condition due to long-term disuse. While the projector can still produce a basic star field, it requires thorough refurbishment and potential integration with laser projection technology to meet modern standards. Further technical examinations are required to determine the feasibility of restoring the original equipment.