It is the facade of the former Central Hotel, later known as Melody, purchased by Sapientia EMTE.
"Currently, the renovation of the former Central Hotel in Cluj (later called Melody) is taking place, which may or may not be the light at the end of the tunnel!"
- wrote Dezső Szenkovics, dean of the Cluj Faculty of the Sapientia Transylvanian Hungarian University (EMTE), in a post posted on his social media page on Thursday. The valuable property located on the Main Square of the treasured city was purchased in 2020 by the foundation that operates the Hungarian private university in Transylvania. The former Melody has become the venue for folk dance classes at the Sapientia EMTE and the Cluj-Napoca headquarters of the Transylvanian Heritage House Foundation, which is currently undergoing interior renovation, and whose facade and entire roof structure are also being renewed. Dezső Senkovics reported on social media that
the original bilingual (Hungarian-Romanian) sign was returned to the Magyar utca (Bulevardul 21 Decembrie 1989) facade of the once emblematic hotel building.
The building, which is currently on scaffolding, will also host events in the future. External and internal renovation works are being carried out on the building of the former three-star hotel, its facade and the entire roof structure are being renewed. The basement of the listed building, the ground floor, and the inner courtyard on the first floor will also be renovated, while the first floor will undergo interior renovations. Dezső Senkovics previously announced that
the financing of the works is provided by the Hungarian government through Bethlen Gábor Alapkezelő Zrt.; the total value of the investment without VAT is about 6 million lei, and according to the schedule, the modernization will be completed in December.
With the complete renovation, the purpose of the building will partially change - explained Dezső Szenkovics. For example, it will be possible to organize dance halls, small folk music concerts, exhibitions and other events in the premises of the cellar. The educational activities of the House of Transylvanian Traditions will be held in the rooms on the ground floor of the building, in the place of the former kitchen, while the former restaurant on the ground floor will be transformed into a community space, where conferences, exhibitions, and concerts will be held.
Photo: Facebook / Dezső Senkovics
On the first floor, there will be offices, educational surfaces for the folk dance department of Sapientia EMTE, and a dance studio, while guest rooms for the guests of the two institutions will continue to operate on the second floor. The two-story building was built in the first half of the 19th century in the northeast corner of the main square of Cluj, next to the Bánffy Palace. Initially, it housed a financial institution and shops, and in 1872 it was converted into a hotel. Pannónia Szálló, then Központi Szálló, also had guests such as Mór Jókai, Johannes Brahms or Ferenc Liszt. The building acquired its present historic form during its renovation in 1891. The corner tower was also built at that time.
