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Budapest : Museum of Applied Arts
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At the junction of the 4/6 tram stop of Üllõi út and Ferenc körút
Metro station is the Museum of Applied Arts.
A brightly coloured building covered in ornate architectural details, surrounded by a sea of generic grey
buildings in front of a busy wide road of constant traffic. Built between 1893 and 1896 the palace dome and roof are
decorated with Zsolnay ceramics
which are impossible to miss when passing this landmark of Budapest.
The Museum was designed in an Art Nouveau style by
Ödön Lechner
and features colourful Pyrogranite tiles developed by the Zsolnay factory.
When I first saw this building I thought it was a church due to its highly decorated roof design, imposing
central dome, tall 'arch like' windows and various wall column supports. The building has an eastern
style which effortlessly fit together to create a mesmerising appearance.
During World War II Budapest suffered a great deal of structural damage and unfortunately this building
did not escape this chapter of history unscathed. The opening hall of the main entrance, the main dome,
the glass hall and the corner dome on Hõgyes street were all badly damaged.
Luckily in 1949 the damage was repaired and the building was restored to its former glory.
It took me several visits to get the right type of lighting to show the building in its best colours.
I tried midday, afternoon and evening but the stonework either looked too dark or the roof tiles
just looked dull and lifeless. Eventually one morning I got off the tram before work and the building
looked perfect, the roof was glowing like a field of marigolds and the stonework felt warm and fuzzy!
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