Details
Kodály Centre
The Kodály Centre was built in 2010 during the year of Pécs European Capital of Culture in the Balokány district. The venue is a world-famous concert hall and a conference centre, home to the Pannon Philharmonic and the Cultural Centre of Pécs.
The centre is exemplary accessible in several ways.
There are two ways to get in: from the main entrance to the information desk, ticket office and cloakroom, or in the west of the building via a ramp that takes you up to the first level. From both entrances there are tactile signs to guide the visually impaired, from the first floor to the elevator, from the main entrance to the ticket office, to the concert hall and the accessible restroom. For some reason there is no such sign to the wardrobe. The tactile signs are difficult to detect in some places because of the wear.
The concert hall has seats at the edge of each row for wheelchair users.
The room is equipped with induction loop for hearing impaired people.
A panoramic lift leads up to the lodges, which has Braille written but unfortunately none of the lifts have a beep between the levels.
Web site: It is user-friendly from the perspective of people with physical disabilities. The main menu navigation can be a bit cumbersome as it doesn't fit within the frame and requires scrolling. However, a positive aspect is that if the mouse cursor accidentally remains on it, it doesn't reset to the default position. There is no accessible menu available.
The menus are clear and the main content is nicely organized with headings. The programs, regulations, and services are readable, and purchasing ticket(s) for a specific program usually redirects to an external page, such as Jegymester.
Getting there:
by bus from the main train station by 4,4Y, 14, and 14Y buses, from the Árkád mall 2, 2Y, 60 and 60A to the Zsolnay district bus stop. From here you can walk accessible to Kodály Centre it takes 5 minutes walk.
by car there are 4 accessible parking spaces in the center's south car park and one for disabled artists.
Hilda
The Kodály Centre is an eye-catching building, both architecturally and internally. The specially designed concert hall is superb, and I dare say unique in terms of acoustics, and I was able to enjoy the performances in comfort. The staff at the Centre are helpful and friendly. As a person with a slight mobility disability, most of the traditional toilets are awkward and challenging, but here I was able to use them without any problems.
One of the ways of accessing the site is via a flight of stairs, but it is important to be aware that the steps are not the same length, so it is a good idea to watch your step and/or use your white cane – some steps have a drainage grate at the bottom, which can catch the end of your stiletto or white cane.