Kelenfold power plant was built in 1914 and was considered one of the most modern electrical plants in the world. The art-deco facility was designed by Hungarian architects Kálmán Reichl and Virgil Bierbauer as a tribute to the power of electricity. The plant, which shut down in 2005, is protected by law and cannot be restored or demolished.
I found myself back in Budapest last month so thought it would be rude not to poke my head into Kelenfold power station. Unfortunately the whole place was swarming with a film crew so I nearly bailed as soon as I arrived but thought fuck it I'll have a go anyway. I walked straight past a guy wearing high-vis in his car and through an open gate into the site. I expected to get shouted at but he was too busy looking at his phone to notice me. Another guy sat in a truck facing me was too busy reading his newspaper. A few seconds later I was hiding in the shadows underneath the building with a few guys unloading a truck a few metres away. I waited for the right moment and legged it to a staircase which took me straight inside. This was going way better than I had expected! 😂 I knew my chances of getting anywhere near the control room were slim so I decided to explore the bits I hadn't seen before instead. The sound of workers everywhere kept me on my toes but I managed to get round a fair bit without being seen. At one point it went quiet so I made my way towards the control room and had a quick look through the door. As expected, it was full of props and all sorts. Seconds later I heard someone coming from behind me so I made a hasty retreat. It definitely wasn't happening on this occasion. Luckily I got to see it in all its glory back in 2019, so this report is a mixture of my shots from back then, and the more recent visit.
I found myself back in Budapest last month so thought it would be rude not to poke my head into Kelenfold power station. Unfortunately the whole place was swarming with a film crew so I nearly bailed as soon as I arrived but thought fuck it I'll have a go anyway. I walked straight past a guy wearing high-vis in his car and through an open gate into the site. I expected to get shouted at but he was too busy looking at his phone to notice me. Another guy sat in a truck facing me was too busy reading his newspaper. A few seconds later I was hiding in the shadows underneath the building with a few guys unloading a truck a few metres away. I waited for the right moment and legged it to a staircase which took me straight inside. This was going way better than I had expected! 😂 I knew my chances of getting anywhere near the control room were slim so I decided to explore the bits I hadn't seen before instead. The sound of workers everywhere kept me on my toes but I managed to get round a fair bit without being seen. At one point it went quiet so I made my way towards the control room and had a quick look through the door. As expected, it was full of props and all sorts. Seconds later I heard someone coming from behind me so I made a hasty retreat. It definitely wasn't happening on this occasion. Luckily I got to see it in all its glory back in 2019, so this report is a mixture of my shots from back then, and the more recent visit.
August 2023
April 2019
A couple of fisheye shots.
Tis a lovely place that control room. Until the next time
April 2019
A couple of fisheye shots.
Tis a lovely place that control room. Until the next time
