W Hotel - Drechsler Palace
Budapest, Andrássy street 25.
The Drechsler Palace on Andrássy Avenue in Budapest, a protected historic building, has served many roles over its 135-year history: it has functioned as a residence, a café, and even the Hungarian State Ballet Institute. For the past two decades, however, it stood empty—until its recent reopening as a luxury hotel. Originally completed in 1886, the building was designed by architects Ödön Lechner and Gyula Pártos in a French Renaissance and Neo-Gothic style. The severely deteriorated structure has now been meticulously restored by DVM Group, following designs from London-based Bowler James Brindley and Hungary’s Bánáti + Hartvig Architect Office.
Drawing inspiration from the palace’s rich cultural history and its former roles, designers wove in elements reminiscent of Budapest’s café culture, the Hungarian love of chess, the atmosphere of performances from the Opera House across the street, and much more. Heritage preservation and the meticulous restoration of the 16,000-square-meter property were accompanied by significant mechanical and electrical upgrades, extending throughout every space. The contractor also had to prepare the building to meet the technical expectations of a five-star hotel.
The modernization focused primarily on technical upgrades that support the building’s longevity, incorporating elements that were not expected in the 19th century. We are proud to have participated in the restoration of this prestigious building. With our own products, we contributed to preserving the faithfully restored heritage character of the palace while also enhancing the luxury and fire safety standards expected of a five-star hotel.
The fire-rated doors placed at the fire compartment boundaries have been designed for long-term use and durability, with a tested lifespan of 200,000 opening cycles (C5 rating). The frame-less fire-rated arched skylight provides a visual element typical of turn-of-the-century architecture. Coolfire Ltd. is the exclusive distributor and installer of the FR and BR frame-less fire-rated glass wall systems, as well as the custom-developed Coolfire-Sapa74 aluminum fire-rated glass doors that form an integrated portal structure. Additional large openings are sealed with Coolfire-Superfire EI90 water-cooled fire-rated curtains, which maintain the spatial effect thanks to their permanent open state. They only close in the event of a fire. To prevent the spread of smoke, a mobile smoke curtain ensures similar advantages, closing only when smoke is detected. Our product: Coolfire-Bachsmoke DA mobile smoke curtains. The fire protection functions of the Coolfire structures at the W-Hotel are maintained up to date, extending their lifespan and ensuring trouble-free daily use by the Coolfire service and maintenance team.
Fire-Rated Glass Doors and Portals
- 1 unit EI90 double door 1920 x 2000 mm
- 1 unit EI90 single door with satin glass 1060 x 2400 mm
- 4 units EI30 double door with frame-less side panels 3100 x 2500 mm
- 16 units EI30 double door 1800 x 2400 mm
- 17 units EI30 frame-less arched skylight 1920 x 1000 mm
- 2 units EI30 frame-less arched skylight 3100 x 1945 mm
- 2 units EI30 frame-less arched skylight 2400 x 980 mm
- 4 units Bach D180 mobile smoke curtains 1550 x 3800 mm
- 4 units Bach D180 mobile smoke curtains 1970 x 3800 mm
- 2 units EI90 Superfire water-cooled fire curtains 8600 x 7300 mm
