Page 53 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Budapest

BUD APEST A T A GLANCE  51

Frigyes Schulek’s Fishermen’s
Historicist Palaces Bastion features Neo-Gothic and
and Buildings Neo-Romanesque designs.
In the second half of the 19th The Vigadó, a concert hall built
century, Historicism took by Frigyes Feszl between 1859
precedence over Neo- and 1864, is often thought of as
Classicism. After the unification of the most magnificent Historicist
Buda, Óbuda and Pest in 1873, building, with its façade richly
Historicism had a significant decorated with relief
influence on the city’s sculptures and busts of
architectural the great Hungarians.
development. In this However, the complex
period Budapest of three French-style,
gained an eclectic mix Neo-Renaissance
of new apart ment palaces, Festetics, Károly
buildings and palaces, and Esterházy, in Mihály Beautiful Neo-Baroque interior of the
as Historicist architects Pollack Square, is also New York Palace
sourced different genres con sidered by many to
for inspiration. Miklós be a fine example. the Klotild Palaces incorporate
Ybl, whose work The Drechsler Palace Spanish-Baroque motifs and can
includes the Hungarian Sculptures on the in Andrássy út is a be admired near the Elizabeth
State Opera and the Vigadó façade marvellous model of Bridge. Perhaps one of the most
expansion of the Neo-Renaissance extra vagant exam ples of
Royal Palace, looked design, while Páris Nagyáház Historicism is the Neo-Baroque
to the Renaissance, while Imre (Paris depart ment store) features New York Palace by Alajos
Steindl designed a Neo-Gothic Lotz’s Hall, decor ated with Hauszmann, which has a
Parliament (to which a Neo- paintings and gold. The twin luxurious interior of marble
Renaissance dome was added). apartment buildings known as columns and rich colour.

Decorative Features Where to Find the
The façades of many palaces features, such as borders and Palaces and Historic
and buildings still display the tympanums, are visible on many
rich sculptural decoration buildings from the first half of Buildings
characteristic of the various the 19th century. Batthyány Palace p84
styles of architecture prevalent Chain Bridge pp66–7
in the city. These features include Drechsler Palace p119
coves, cartouches, finials, relief Erdődy Palace p85
sculptures and ornamental Ervin Szabó Library p139
window frames. Fishermen’s Bastion p84
Regrettably, almost no Gellért Hotel pp94–5
original Gothic detail remains in Golden Stag House p99
Budapest, but niches or pointed Gresham Palace p118
arches decorating old apartment Gross Palace p130
buildings can be spotted in A finial with cartouche on the Neo-Classical Hilton Hotel p85
the Old Town. Károlyi Palace Hungarian Academy of
Baroque elements are still Sciences p118
evident in fine buildings such as Hungarian National Museum
the Zichy Palace and the Erdődy pp134–7
Palace. Decorative Neo-Classical Hungarian State Opera pp122–3
József Nádor Square p130
Károlyi Palace p143
Klotild Palaces p131
Mihály Pollack Square p139
Relief on the Hungarian National
Bank (1905) Municipal County Offices p132
New York Palace p133
Parliament pp112–13
Péterffy Palace p126
Royal Palace pp74–5
Sándor Palace p77
Várkert Kiosk, Miklós Ybl Square p99
Cove detail on the Vienna Gate Square p88
façade of the Zichy Palace p175
Staffenberg House Ornate window frame adorning the house at 21 József Nádor utca

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