The “Szenes-ház” a house located at Thököly út 46 was commissioned by Mór Szenes, a chief controller for an insurance company, and his wife Regina Stern and built in 1904-1905. Mór Szenes owned multiple houses in Budapest, including Népszínház utca 40, which was designed by József Porgesz. I recently posted about this building’s very interesting history. The architect, István Nagy Jr., designed the house drawing inspiration from his mentor, the renowned Ödön Lechner. István Nagy was a prolific architect who designed many Art Nouveau residential buildings which are still standing today such as Dob utca 53, Szűz utca 5-7, Verseny utca 14, István utca 38, Baross utca 127.

Lechner is credited with pioneering Hungarian Art Nouveau, also known as Hungarian Secessionist (Szecesszió) style. This architectural movement emerged in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, breaking away from the strictures of historicism and embracing a more organic and nationalistic aesthetic. Lechner’s influence is evident in the Szenes-ház’s facade, which likely incorporates some of the hallmarks of Hungarian Art Nouveau: vibrant colors, floral motifs…

The house’s recent interior renovation has breathed new life into the space, though the color choices does not convince me.