A helicopter did the heavy lifting to install a new HVAC system at Budapest’s Szent Imre University Teaching Hospital, overcoming significant site constraints. The operation highlights how innovative engineering and careful planning can keep critical healthcare facilities operating while major upgrades take place.
Coordinated by LIWO Group and B+N Magyarország Kft., the climate modernisation project at Building C of the Dél-Buda Centrum Hospital’s Szent Imre University Teaching Hospital replaced a 17-year-old VRF system with a new energy-efficient Gree GMV6 heating and cooling system.
The new system provides improved energy efficiency, enhanced operational reliability and more predictable long-term maintenance. With a cooling capacity of 22.4 kW, heating capacity of 25 kW and five indoor units, it will help maintain the stable temperatures required in the hospital’s operating theatres.
Complex Site, Unconventional Solution
The installation presented a major logistical challenge. With a lifting height of almost 30 metres, a required crane reach of around 70 metres, overhead utilities along Tétényi Road and the surrounding dense urban environment, conventional lifting methods were ruled out.
As shared by B+N Magyarország Kft., following a detailed technical, operational and safety assessment, specialists from B+N Hungary and the LIWO Group selected a helicopter lift as the safest and most effective solution for positioning the rooftop unit.
A spider crane was also considered as an alternative, but the hospital’s basement tunnels would have demanded extensive structural surveys and lengthy permitting, threatening to delay the works considerably. After weighing up the technical, safety and operational factors, engineers at B+N Magyarország Kft. concluded that a helicopter lift was the safest and most efficient solution available.
Precision Under Pressure
The airlift demanded careful engineering preparation, precise logistical planning and tight coordination between teams — all carried out without disrupting a hospital that never stops running. The project stands as a clear demonstration of the technical and project management expertise that LIWO Group and B+N Magyarország Kft. bring to healthcare facilities management, showing that even the most complex technical operations can be delivered safely within a live clinical environment.