The Sándor Palace is a building of outstanding importance and a long history in Esztergom, which has been waiting for its fate to turn for the better for many years and decades. The current owner, the MOL-Új Európa Alapítvány, has issued a design tender for the renovation of the decaying monument, reports epiteszforum.hu.

János Bottyán's brewery originally stood on the site of the one-story baroque corner building at 1 Jókai Mór utca. Lieutenant-Colonel Ádám Papes built an adobe house on the plot, and the building was purchased from his widow by subaltern Sándor Menyhért in 1718. rebuilt the house from the ground up in the 1740s , which, with the changes of ownership over the years, underwent minor and major expansion and remodeling works. In the 19th century, the chapel of the Szent Gellert Association was also built in the courtyard.

The house was nationalized after the Second World War, and then rented apartments were created in it. Several attempts were made to restore the building, which was in a very dilapidated state, but these did not go beyond minor repairs and the renovation of the roof structure. At one time, they wanted to transform it for the Constitutional Court, but the plan was not realized. Between 2002 and 2021, the house was owned by the municipality, and in November 2021 it was bought by the MOL-Új Európa Foundation. It seems that the Foundation is now really restoring the building, which deserves a better fate.

Public Procurement Notice of June 6, 2023, an invitational architectural design competition for the renovation of the Sándor Palace in Esztergom was published.

When evaluating the entries, the judging committee positively evaluates, among other things, if the building complex fits the historical heritage in a contemporary way, has a unique appearance, an independent identity, enriches the established cityscape and maintains a dialogue with the neighboring buildings. When judging the entries, it is also an important aspect that the building complex creates the opportunity for personal meetings and occasional and organized gatherings of smaller and larger communities.

Photo: Sándor-palota Esztergom, epiteszforum.hu