This 150-year-old neo-Gothic, church-like building is home to the library of one of Hungary’s most prestigious universities. During WW II this monumental building was used as one of the German headquarters, which resulted in severe damage during bombings. Fortunately, by 1949, the Hungarian government managed to restore the building to its former glory. The library’s most beautiful location is the neo-Gothic reading room, with its slender pillars forming its semi-circular apse, contrasted by the parallel rows of oak desks. The large arched windows give the room clear natural lighting, but for a more atmospheric feel one can light the hundreds of turn-of-the-century reading lamps. It offers a polished, intellectual sense of the past.

Photo gallery

Interior of the University of Technology Library in Budapest with vaulted ceilings and large arched windows.
The library was used for scenes in the movie The Rite starring Anthony Hopkins
Reading hall of the University of Technology Library in Budapest with high ceilings, long wooden tables, and study lamps.
The colorful stained glass windows that stood between the marble pillars were replaced after WWII
Students studying in the grand reading room of the University of Technology Library in Budapest.
The Gothic ceiling of the hall creates a unique atmosphere
Rows of brass study lamps and wooden desks inside the University of Technology Library in Budapest.
The symmetrical reading room with its oak desks and copper lamps is absolutely a top filming location in its genre

Filmed at this location

The library was used as a setting for scenes in the movie The Rite starring Anthony Hopkins.