United States site instead?High Technology Park Provides Haven for Local IT Talent
Budapest – May 29, 2000 – Graphisoft cut the ribbon on an additional building in Graphisoft
Park, the high-tech office community the company has been developing on the banks of the
Danube since 1997. The second 6,000 sq. meter phase of construction on this seven hectare
site included Graphisoft’s production and warehouse facility, which has been occupied since
November 1999, as well as a 3,500 sq. meter building with underground car park, which will
now serve as the headquarters for Microsoft Hungary.
Designed similarly to the existing buildings, making extensive use of brick and glass, the
Microsoft headquarters was inaugurated on May 29. Invited guests, including press,
shareholders and members of the local architectural community, heard from Hungary’s
Minister of Trade and Commerce, Dr. György Matolcsy, and the mayor of Budapest, Dr.
Gábor Demszky, who were invited by Graphisoft President and CEO Gábor Bojár, and Tamás
Hercegh, general manager of Microsoft Hungary to perform the ceremonial ribbon cutting.
“We envision Graphisoft Park as the plug that helps stop the ‘brain drain’ from Hungary and
other parts of Central Europe,” explained Bojár. “In addition to housing our own corporate
headquarters, it is a place where high tech companies can provide an inspiring environment
with all the necessary resources for their IT employees. Talented people no longer need to
leave their own country to find good work in their field.”
“The proof of the success of Graphisoft Park is in the fact that the resident companies are
growing so dynamically that we have had to double the amount of office space to
accommodate them,” Bojár added.
At the inauguration ceremony, a building tour was led by the architect, Adam Sylvester of
Tér 4 Építész Kft., recipient of the Ybl prize, the highest award for architecture in Hungary.
The entire office park has been designed in Archicad, and the facility is managed with the
aid of ArchiFM 2000, Graphisoft’s facility management software. The third phase of
construction is under way, including a new home for Graphisoft’s expanded research and
development division, which has outgrown its current space. This building is expected to be
completed in October 2000. An additional 4,200 sq. meter office building is in the design
phase.
Graphisoft is a leading provider of computer-aided design (CAD) software solutions for the
architectural profession and the building industry. Founded in 1982, Graphisoft is ranked
today among the largest AEC CAD software developers in the world, with 12 offices all over
the world in addition to its headquarters. Graphisoft’s flagship product, Archicad, is used by
more than 75,000 architects worldwide and distributed in 25 languages and 80 countries.
Shares of Graphisoft are traded on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange Neuer Markt under the
symbol GPH. More information about Graphisoft is available at www.graphisoft.com.