The Beautiful Hungarian Art Nouveau (24) - Béla Lajta - Mexikói út 60.
Ignác Wechselmann - the wealthy constructor of plenty of buildings in Budapest, e.g. Dohány Street Synagogue, University Library, many other works by the renowned architects of the era, Miklós Ybl etc.; however, the only Jewish member of the Hungarian constructors' shield in the mid-1860s - and his wife, Zsófia Neuschloss, a childless couple, made their will for building a school for blind Jewish children in 1903. Originally the school was built for 75 pupils, and the facility had to be divided between Jewish and Christian children in fifty-fifty percent according to their will.
The building was raised between 1905 and 1908 on the designs of the distinguished architect, Béla Lajta (1873-1920), as one of his first large works (more to come in my stream soon).
In 1926 the foundation sold the building, though education and rehabilitation of the Jewish disabled still remained between these walls; in the turn of 1944 and 1945 the place was converted to a ghetto. After WWII it housed an elementary school, later the ill-famed College of Foreign Languages. The synagogue of the building, deprived of all the ornamental and religious elements, was used as a gym from then on. From 1952 on it is part of a motivity enhancing school and college (which was originally founded by a Hungarian freemason circle in 1903, close to this building).
In 1960 the stunning original Lajta building was extended and linked by a neighbouring inappropriate edifice (you can see it clearly on the right of the picture below, taken in March 2008) which was demolished two years ago and replaced by a modern wing last year. All of the complex is in the state of refurbishment and expansion now (it will involve a neighbouring hospital as part of this complex, as well). During the general refurbishment in-progress the original Lajta building will be also restored - at least the green gate on the right has been replaced now by a wrought iron piece manufactured according to the original designs. Most of the original ornamental details are to be put back again.
Though apparently not a work fullfilling all features of European Art Nouveau, I inserted it into this series yet - the measures & proportions & distant outlook, even smaller ornamental elements of the building earn this status - while the brick surface is rather telling of Art Deco. Béla Lajta himself was obviously a modernist, who couldn't get rid of his age, of course, and was keen on moderate using of ornaments. - See (25) for all means.
The Beautiful Hungarian Art Nouveau (24) - Béla Lajta - Mexikói út 60.
Ignác Wechselmann - the wealthy constructor of plenty of buildings in Budapest, e.g. Dohány Street Synagogue, University Library, many other works by the renowned architects of the era, Miklós Ybl etc.; however, the only Jewish member of the Hungarian constructors' shield in the mid-1860s - and his wife, Zsófia Neuschloss, a childless couple, made their will for building a school for blind Jewish children in 1903. Originally the school was built for 75 pupils, and the facility had to be divided between Jewish and Christian children in fifty-fifty percent according to their will.
The building was raised between 1905 and 1908 on the designs of the distinguished architect, Béla Lajta (1873-1920), as one of his first large works (more to come in my stream soon).
In 1926 the foundation sold the building, though education and rehabilitation of the Jewish disabled still remained between these walls; in the turn of 1944 and 1945 the place was converted to a ghetto. After WWII it housed an elementary school, later the ill-famed College of Foreign Languages. The synagogue of the building, deprived of all the ornamental and religious elements, was used as a gym from then on. From 1952 on it is part of a motivity enhancing school and college (which was originally founded by a Hungarian freemason circle in 1903, close to this building).
In 1960 the stunning original Lajta building was extended and linked by a neighbouring inappropriate edifice (you can see it clearly on the right of the picture below, taken in March 2008) which was demolished two years ago and replaced by a modern wing last year. All of the complex is in the state of refurbishment and expansion now (it will involve a neighbouring hospital as part of this complex, as well). During the general refurbishment in-progress the original Lajta building will be also restored - at least the green gate on the right has been replaced now by a wrought iron piece manufactured according to the original designs. Most of the original ornamental details are to be put back again.
Though apparently not a work fullfilling all features of European Art Nouveau, I inserted it into this series yet - the measures & proportions & distant outlook, even smaller ornamental elements of the building earn this status - while the brick surface is rather telling of Art Deco. Béla Lajta himself was obviously a modernist, who couldn't get rid of his age, of course, and was keen on moderate using of ornaments. - See (25) for all means.