Debrecen’s Nagyállomás Railway Station once reflected the city’s importance and status as the second capital city. The impressive building opened 119 years ago in 1902 but was badly damaged during the war. While today’s post war replacement building is far less appealing than the original, the story of the Nagyállomás (Grand) Railway Station will not end here as impressive redevelopment plans come to fruition.
Pfaff Ferenc, Kelemen László | Debreceni nagyállomás, Debrecen | Kitervezte.hu 
Pfaff Ferenc, Kelemen László | Debreceni nagyállomás, Debrecen | Kitervezte.hu
The building was hit by a bomb on June 2, 1944, and the new building and its surrounding was planned directly after the war. The building design finally accepted was designed in a socialist, late modern style of the time by László Kelemen, but although the designer tried to preserved the structural and interior design values of the original building, the building, just like the earlier socialist buildings of the time is no longer appreciated.
For the buildings surroundings, in what is today’s Petőfi Square, twenty-two applications were received for the design tender announced by the Ministry of Construction. Today, both the Grand Station and the Petőfi square are to be redeveloped.
Future Plans
The Railway Station plans were tendered for back in 2018, but the development was delayed for some necessary changes.
The Debrecen Mayor’s Office said at the time that the plans needed to be revised because “due to industrial and economic developments, there is a significant growth is expected in the public transport passenger and freight sector, which was not included in the plan”.
Although delayed, the re-construction of Debrecen Grand Railway Station has not been removed from the agenda, moreover, it is still one of the most important developments of the Debrecen 2030 program.
A 3D rendering of the Petőfi Square development plans were released earlier in 2021.
