On 9 September 2024, RTL Hungary officially opened the doors of RTL Liget, the new headquarters of the company surrounded by green space in the Városliget district of Budapest. Colleagues have been gradually moving into the new office space since summer 2024, which now hosts RTL Hungary’s corporate functions as well as a new news studio.

RTL Hungary hasn’t completely said goodbye to its former office building. Under the name RTL Studios, it will continue to be the home for the production of popular shows such as The X Factor. With the renovation of the former base currently underway, RTL Hungary now operates from two bases.

Gabriella Vidus, CEO of RTL Hungary, says: "RTL Liget is another important step in the transformation of our company that has been ongoing for many years. This state-of-the-art environment will allow us to further increase efficiency and speed, and further leverage cross-functional collaboration to respond even faster to our consumers' needs. The building of RTL Liget and its renovation are a good representation of the cultural embeddedness, value creation and innovation that have characterised RTL Hungary's 28-year history.”

Modernity meets history

RTL Hungary made the decision to move parts of its operations to a new base in 2021. Thanks to large, open office spaces, colleagues will be able to connect more easily, enabling faster flow of information and more efficient collaboration.

The new building complex consists of three units: a five-storey office building hosting the company’s corporate functions, an auditorium with a modern news studio and the wing connecting the two. The auditorium, which formely served as a theatre hall and hosted several events, has been completely renovated to meet RTL Hungary’s broadcasting needs while preserving historical elements. Today, a brand-new news studio occupies this space. 

Named after legendary television journalist György Baló, the studio is equipped with state-of-the-art technical facilities. The main new feature of the almost 200-square-metre space is a 10-metre-wide curved LED wall, which enables more advanced visual solutions. RTL Hungary has been broadcasting daily news programme Híradó, infotainment programme Fókusz and its weather reports from the new studio for several weeks. Colleagues from the editorial team are working from the same place where visitors of the former auditorium used to take a seat.

Krisztina Horváth, Chief Financial Officer of RTL Hungary, says: "This project was a huge undertaking for us, and we are proud to have delivered it on time and on budget. Our first experiences in the new building have been extremely positive and confirm the success of our hard work over the past years. I would like to thank everyone who has been involved in this complex multi-year project.”

Innovation through sustainability

Despite its growing headcount and increasing programme production activity, RTL Hungary has reduced its energy consumption and emissions by nearly 40 per cent over the past five years. In addition, for years, the company has been using renewable electricity only.

The renovation of RTL Liget has also been completed with a strong focus on sustainability. The owner of the building and the company responsible for the renovation installed energy-efficient systems, including a modern heat pump system, windows with three-layer glazing and an insulated roof and facades. Moreover, a solar park consisting of 76 panels has been installed on the roof.

The iconic auditorium, with an imposing glass-roofed ceiling, is the only listed building in Budapest to receive an “A” energy certificate.

The real estate developer and owner of RTL Liget is Wing Ltd. Tiba Architect Studio was responsible for designing the renovation, with construction works carried out by Workup and its subsidiaries and LAB5 architects being responsible for interior design.