Restoration plan of the Calvinist church, Magyarvista

In 1922, Károly Kós pointed out the plight of two churches in the Kalotaszeg region that were destined for demolition in his article entitled “Ancient Churches” in the pages of Vasárnap (Sunday). The congregations in Magyarvista (Viştea) and Magyarbikal (Bikălatu) wanted to erect new, bigger churches in place of the existing ones. Kós suggested the rehabilitation and enlargement of the churches instead of their demolition, and prepared plans for this in both cases. The histories of the two churches diverge at this point, while the restoration and enlargement of the Magyarbikal church took place in 1923, the rehabilitation of the Magyarvista church could not be undertaken until 1958 according to newly prepared plans. However, this was to the benefit of the church because it remained untouched by the major remodeling work that was abandoned.

In the 1920s, the Magyarvista congregation wanted to demolish their medieval church to replace it with a new one with towers. Kós convinced the congregation to keep the church, and prepared plans for its enlargement. He would have extended the nave by about three meters, and then would have put the original stone portal and rose window on the new façade. The tower would have been constructed next to the church, connected by a corridor, but the rehabilitation could not be commenced at that time. However, the need to enlarge the church arose again in 1958, so Kós dusted off his plans from thirty years previously and prepared new ones that were almost identical. In the new design, the tower was given four pinnacles around its spire. The architect corresponded with the art historian and director of the Scientific Department of the National Inspectorate of Monuments, Géza Entz, in connection with the rehabilitation of the church. Géza Entz had previously been involved in the surveying of historic properties in Transylvania.