Ganz Shipyard in Népsziget

Népsziget (People’s Island) in Budapest was considered the central location of Hungarian shipbuilding in the twentieth century. In 1883 a winter harbour was created in the isolated Újpest Bay, and Váci út site of Pest & Fiume Shipyard was built on the shore. After the merger of several shipyards in 1890, Ganz Danubius Shipyard and Crane Factory settled on the southern shores of Újpest Bay.

In 1957, the building of five-ton floating cranes was moved to the Népsziget side of the bay. After World War 2 Ganz Danubius had built the most floating cranes in the world until the 1990’s when shipbuilding was stopped in Hungary. After the change of the political system the department operated as Ganz Sziget Hajó, Daru- és Acélszerkezetgyártó Kft. (Ganz Island Ship Crane and Steel Structure Manufacturing Ltd.).

By the Millennium the factory was emptied, only a few of the huge production halls remained in a rather dilapidated state on the Népsziget side. The empty buildings and their surroundings could serve as locations for several cyberpunk films, however they mostly evoke the atmosphere and visuals of the film Blade Runner. That is reinforced by the red and black image effect.