Armuth Miklós - Lőrinczi Zsuzsa (szerk.): A Budapesti Műszaki és Gazdaságtudományi Egyetem Történeti Campusa (Budapest, 2023)

A Kémiai épület - The Chemistry Building Kalmár Miklós

project, he was in charge of the budget and made proposals when accepting the bids. When it came to choosing the contractors, Hauszmann and professionally less competent professors as well as the representatives of the ministry tried their best to enforce their own interests from time to time. As a result of such debates, it was not always the cheapest technical solution that they finally opted for. However, keeping to the budget restrictions was a priority concern all the time. The early stage of construction works still raised optimism, but as they proceeded, the financial situation turned more and more alarming. The enterprise of Li pót Havel, who was hired later on as a contractor, started working on this project in 1902 and was commissioned for excavations and bricklaying. A capping ceremony took place in summer, 1903. Ironworks were treated as separate "decorative work" and "ordinary" builder's hardware. The large trusses and wrought-iron ornaments were made by various contractors. The Budapest Pump and Engine Factory made the trussed iron girders. Several contractors received their first important commissions now to make their names and have successful careers. Károly Knuth, who became famous later on, received a commission for repairworks to the heating system via Vince Wartha, who intended to use the new heating system as a demonstrative model for his students.

As Hauszmann was in favour of them, Gregersen G. and Sons were hired for carpentry work, Fischer and Hartmann for painting, and András Glatz for glaziery. Sándor Árkay was commissioned with ironwork, although Hauszmann had higher opinion of Jungfert's wrought-iron works. For doing the plumbing and tinning Imre Tóth and Co. were hired, for slating Károly Tomschay, for stonework György Weisinger, for the terrazzo flooring Vince Cristofoli, concrete and "wire lattice" structures János Biehn. To make the cork thermal insulations dr. Tivadar Heidlberg was hired. The oak boarding of the staffrooms were made by Holstein and Stermer, the stoves by Manó Zvillinger, and the asphalt pavement by the Hungarian Asphalt Factory, Esslingen-type roller shutters by Lajos Magaziner, tiling and footing by József Walla, the electric elevator by the company of Gyula Freissler. The shutter used for darkening the rooms - as proposed by Hauszmann again - was made by Lajos Magaziner, the window canvas by Páschka L. and Co., painting by the Steinhäusl and Kolber company. The telephone, the ring and the lightning-conductor were installed by Hirschl and Co. The wired glass for the skylights of the lecture-halls by Frigyes Diemens proved painfully expensive, and was rejected as such. Endre Thék was hired as cabinet-maker, and, among others, Kálmán Berkes as master locksmith. Light fixtures and electric devices were supplied by the famous Ganz and Co. Sculptures did credit to Ignácz Ágoston Vögerl, the fence to Antal Schwarz and Ernő Müller stonecutters. In-between levels held segmental brick arches supported by steel beams above the facade span, and brick-vaults were built above the corridors. The cover plate above the second storey would have been wirelatticed originally, but Hauszmann was of the opinion that Monier's R-C frame is even better than vaulting. Czigler presented "insulating" sheets to make the lower levels watertight (leaded and unleaded types too]. Originally, lead sheet roofing was included in the plans, but the unleaded one proved better. Another novelty was the cork thermal insulation used above the large lecture hall. The roof (the "deck") was slate, although Wartha argued that asbestos cement would have been better. The corridor floors were clad in terrazzo, although marble mosaic was also proposed. Hauszmann would have preferred the products or asbestos based products of a Hungarian clinker factory. The steps of the grand staircase were made of red limestone from Tardos propped by R-C skeleton. In the first designs the main staircase and the service stairs were made of wood, but finally the latter was built as floating stone stairs, the grand staircases with stone steps supported by steel props on one side.

As the inauguration was scheduled for Autumn, 1904, an important issue to face was the installation of gas and electricity. Although their bid was rather high, the General Austro-Hungarian Gas Company was hired to supply the pipelines and devices, as they would also provide service plus maintenance. The idea of generating electricity on-site was also considered meanwhile. For this purpose they wanted direct current. Czigler would have preferred to rely on the two large municipal electricity suppliers, as the first building was only expected to use little - and thus affordable - electricity. The decision made now was to postpone decision about more substantial budget items as the machinery consuming much energy would be housed in the engines laboratory schedulled later. For accounting an "automatic meter" was designed.