Architecture
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Vanishing Architectural Details in Budapest
The “lomtalanítás” day in Budapest allows residents to discard items, leading to valuable finds for some and the loss of historic pieces for others.
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Sanctuary and Diplomacy: The Building of the Spanish Embassy in Budapest
A wealthy mansion in Budapest, once home to the Hatvany Deutsch family, became the Spanish Embassy in 1922. During WWII, it provided refuge for persecuted Jews, with the Ambassador aiding in saving over 5,200 lives.
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Király Utca 70: Murder in the Architect’s Apartment
Yesterday, while conducting research in old newspapers about Király utca 70, I came across an article published in the Friss Ujság in 1928 titled “Horrific Robbery Murder on Király Street.” This crime occurred in the apartment of Pál Varsa, an architect who designed a house on Práter utca, a topic I previously posted about on…
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Király utca 21: One of Budapest’s Most Elegant Staircases
Nestled within Király utca 21 stands one of Budapest’s most elegant staircases, housed within the oldest surviving building on the street. Crafted by Mihály Pollack for Ferenc Dlauchy, a prosperous locksmith and frequent collaborator of the architect, this architectural masterpiece has weathered the test of time. However, the same cannot be said for many neighboring…
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Nádor utca 36: The House of the Rimamurány-Salgótarján Steelworks
Nádor utca 36 is a building located nearby the Parliament. It was designed by Artúr Meinig and built in 1901 for the Rimamurányi-Salgótarjáni Vasmű Rt. (Rimamurány-Salgótarján Steelworks), a huge company responsible for steel production in northern Hungary. The company, often nicknamed “Rima” had its headquarters in this building and rented out the rest. The name…
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Andrássy út 2: the Foncière-palace
At the corner of Andrássy út and Bajcsy-Zsilinszky út stands the “Foncière-palota.” Adolf Feszty, a prominent architect in 19th century Budapest, designed the building in 1882 for the French Foncière Insurance company. Feszty, known for his contributions to the city’s architectural landscape, also designed the Haris-bazár (since demolished) and several mansions along the then-developing Sugár…
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Frankel Leó út 11: Where Neo-Renaissance meets Art Nouveau
Frankel út 11 is an apartment house with two distinct facades: one facing Frankel Leó út (where the entrance is situated) and the other facing Lipthay utca. The two sides of this narrow building are quite different. The facade on Lipthay utca is an interesting blend of neo-Renaissance and Art Nouveau elements. Designed by the…
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József körút 21: The Vanishing Boot Scrapers of Budapest
In January 2024, I spotted a small sphinx guarding the entrance of an old apartment building from 1887 on József körút. It’s the last piece of what used to be a pair of boot scrapers, likely installed when the building was finished. Looking into its history, I learned that when the Budapest100 team visited in…
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Dohány utca 22: The Árkád Bazár
I took these photos at Dohány utca 22, an Art Nouveau building known as the “Árkád Bazár,” once home to the Késmárky and Illés toy store. In prewar Budapest, children dreamed of shopping here, as the first floors housed the city’s largest toy store, while apartments occupied the top floors. Designed by brothers László and…
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Lenhossék utca 5: Alcohol and Pocket Knife
This decaying apartment building is located at Lenhossék utca (formerly Szvetenay utca) 5, in an area that has long grappled with poverty and its associated issues, including criminality and drug addiction, rendering it still considered unsafe. However, this area is undergoing significant changes, with many old buildings being demolished and replaced by large condominiums. During…
Buildings Tell Tales 