About us

From the 1870s until 1944, the episcopal regents (József Szentirmay, Jenő Reé, and Béla Zsitnyánszky) and their families lived on the nearly one-hectare property at the corner of today’s Dózsa György Street and Toborzó Street. During the wars, the governor’s palace, with a location and features that made it easy to defend, was soon discovered by German and later Soviet soldiers. From 1944–45, it served as their headquarters, and from 1951 to 1956, it housed the Veszprém centre of the State Protection Authority (ÁVH). The building was demolished in 1965, and between 1970 and 1973, a new county cultural centre was constructed on the site. This centre was named after Georgi Dimitrov (1882–1949), a Bulgarian workers' movement leader, in honour of the era’s Bulgarian links. Over the following decades, the name became so ingrained in the minds of Veszprémers that even after the turn of the millennium, many referred to visiting the cultural centre as going to the ‘Dimitrov’. Its hexagonal theatre hosted international choral and chamber music festivals as well as national television conventions from 1973 to 1990. The County Cultural Centre later became a municipal cultural centre as its role diminished, but the building was vacated when the institution moved and no permanent functions were housed within its walls. After standing empty for more than a decade, the building became home to Hangár Music Centre and Rehearsal Studio Hub, offering comprehensive music education as part of the Veszprém-Balaton 2023 European Capital of Culture programme. Subsequently, work began on transforming the former theatre space into present-day CODE – Centre of Digital Experiences.

CODE was established as part of the Veszprém-Balaton 2023 European Capital of Culture programme, with the primary mission of opening new avenues for experience-based cultural engagement and digital education. This innovative visual institution introduces visitors to new dimensions of digital arts.

It is not just an exhibition space but a unique experience hub where art, science, and technology converge. The world’s greatest masterpieces, the secrets of the human body, and the wonders of our diverse world come to life through state-of-the-art audiovisual technology. Beyond this, CODE serves as a creative hub, aiming to function as a regional centre for creativity and provide a new artistic platform for both Hungarian and international creative minds.

At CODE, you can become an active participant in a unique virtual journey where artistic, scientific or historical wonders that once seemed distant come to life, inviting you to connect. Immersive genres, including video mapping and video imaging formats, offer the opportunity to explore fine art and educational topics from an entirely new perspective, providing inspiring and entertaining experiences.

CODE is not just an experience centre but a creative base where you can freely explore the digital world of arts and sciences, learning through inspiring lectures and sessions with the tools of the future.

The exhibition area on the ground floor, covering almost 330 m2, features permanent and temporary digital and analogue installations.

The Hexagon, CODE's largest immersive space on the first floor, is a 360-degree projection venue for immersive audiovisual artworks. The Hexagon is complemented by an Experience Corridor, designed to help you tune in to the content currently shown in the Hexagon.

The stage and backstage area of the former cultural centre has been transformed into a 60 m2 studio space for 180-degree interactive and three-dimensional installations, screenings and educational events, with a capacity of 25-30 visitors per occasion. The Studio was designed in collaboration with the Ars Electronica team and is modelled on Deep Space.

The building also houses CODE LAB, a content development lab, with the University of Pannonia Veszprém as one of its key professional partners.