The Studio yearbook of decorative art (1913)

HUNGARIAN ARCHITECTURE AND
DECORATION. By A. S. Levetus

BUDAPEST is rapidly changing its old familiar features, for
the heavy hand of fate has fallen on many of its ancient
buildings, and in their place new ones have arisen which
lend only too often a foreign aspect to this beautiful city.
This, however, is a fate which Budapest shares with many
other large cities where ruthless changes are being carried out. Here
and there, however, really fine buildings have appeared designed by
architects whose names are guarantees for good work and earnestness
of purpose—Lechner, Bela Lajta, Haasz und Malnai, Professor Bela
Rerrich, Ignatz Alpar, Ch. Kos, Dionysius Gyorgyi, the Brothers
Jonas, Poygany, Jozsef Vago, to mention but a few. They have
made it their task to preserve the old Hungarian style as far as
possible, and to adapt it to modern methods and requirements ; that
is to say, they are gradually developing a modern Hungarian style,
eminently characteristic, unmistakably national, and founded on
a firm artistic basis. Even now, though this aim has been held
in view for some years, it is impossible to say what this modern
Hungarian style will finally present; but that it is healthy, strong, and
vigorous none following the general trend of things architectural will
deny. The Government is very keen on its development, therefore it
employs the best modern architects for its new schools, which so far
are chiefly elementary ones, the object being not only to fit them out
to meet the latest hygienic exigencies, but at the same'time to give the
buildings, together with the interior and exterior decoration, a real
Hungarian character, so that a national spirit may be fostered in the
children’s minds. This is as it should be in a country possessing so
many traditions in architecture and decorative art. Many of these
schools have their walls ornamented with friezes descriptive of scenes
from the lovely imaginative stories and from the rich folk-lore of
Hungary. Nor is it in Budapest alone that such schools are being
erected ; but, scattered about throughout the various Comitats,
wherever new buildings arise they bear the sign, manual and artistic,
of the country of their origin.
Nor is it the school-buildings alone which bear the stamp of
their nationality. Jozsef Vago was chosen as the architect of two
public buildings, the Budapest Theatre and the Petofi Museum
(Petofi was one of Hungary’s greatest poets). The entrances here
reproduced will show how thoroughly they are in keeping with
Hungarian thought in architecture and decoration. The same
architect has designed, decorated, and furnished some villas and clubs.
That he is a man of sound principles, both as an architect and
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