Building of the Month: October 2011 - VI. Bajscy-Zsilinszky út 63

Topics: Introduction * History of this building * The building from the outside * The building from the inside * The architects * Photo gallery * Where can you find this building

Introduction

The Building of the Month in October 2011 is characterized by a relatively great unfamiliarity. Largely due to its location: a busy way that runs up, deprives the view on the front of this building.

Yet this building is one of the, if not the earliest Art Nouveau building in Budapest which dates from 1897. In terms of style of the facade decoration it's a modern building, and with the Viennese / Western form of Art Nouveau. The architects of this building: Frigyes Spiegel and Fülöp Weinréb. Around the same years this duo has definitely designed 15 early Art Nouveau buildings in Budapest. (Photo: part of the "Collegium" statue)

History of this building

On the location of this building was, till 1896, the Schlick felé vasgyar (Schlick, vasöntöde es gepgyár, Váci körút 57)  located. A large factory complex sandwiched between the streets Bajcsy-Zsilinsky út, Jokai utca and the Podmaniczky utca. Adjacent to this complex formerly the London Szálloda (hotel) was located. After the demolition of the factory, a separate building was created at the Podmaniczky utca, while between the Jokai utca and Bajcsy-Zsilinszky út a very large apartment complex was been realized. The construction is fairly traditional, and basically the same as for many neo-style apartment complexes from previous years. Although there are sources that attribute the building at the Jokai utca to another architect, inside it is very clear that it is one building.

The building from the outside

Although it's looks as two seperate buildings, it are in fact one building with a simple building/connection between these two buildings. Beside it has a covered shopping arcade on the whole lenght on the ground floor. The building has four floors. On the side of the Bajcsy-Zsillinsky út is on the first floor a small balcony with one window, the second floor contains a balcony over the length of three windows. Both at the frontside and backside there are 9 windows on each floor, where only the windows on the second floor have a half rounded top. The other windows in the building are rectangular.

The facade, both front and rear are striking, it was clear it should radiate 2 buildings, which was also achieved. The facades are in good condition with absolutely beautiful ornamentations at both the frontside and backside. The frontside have statues on it with as themes "Industry" and "Collegium". The facade ornamentations contains references to the owner of the land and the former factory. The backside (Jokai utca) is more simple decorated with repetitive decorations. In former days, the Jokai utca had a longer lenght and with buildings at the opposite and was less important than the Bajcsy-Zsilinsky út. There are many similarities with other by Spiegel and Weinréb designed buildings from this period.

What also is striking is the repetition of themes: decorations on the facade also are used on the inside, especially on the facades of the courtyards, and the decoration of the railings of the balcony refers to the railng of the main staircase. The decorations are also reused in other buildings, the railings in the stairwell of the Building of this month is identical to the railing in the building at the IX. ÃœllÅ‘i út 21, also designed by both architects around 1897/1898. This repetition technique was also subsequently several times used by Bela Löffler, who at the time of the realization of this building worked at the office of Frigyes Spiegel. There is a slight doubt about the date of the door at the frontside, it is probably of later date. Both the front and rear are on the ground floor no longer in original condition, this is the worst with the Jokai utca side, therefore you easily can overlook the upperside of the building.

The building from the inside

A building, architectural seen, still based on the neo-classic style, which was common in those days. Only sparse Art Nouveau decorations in the stairwell, particularly the railing and the floor, further little or no decorations. In the galleries and courtyards the same decorations are used as on the facades, with on each floor different decorations. The building is also designed as two independent units with a simple building without frills in between to connect these two buildings.

Nowadays the ground floor is affected because of a shopping arcade that runs through the entire length of the building and due to this the courtyards are covered with a roof. The original entrance to the Jokai utca also is disappeared. A few things such as a reliëf, are remnants of the old entrance at this side of the building. What also is striking is the staircase at the front of the Bajcsy-Zsilinsky út with the round hole in the wall. In later years, there is an elevator added in one of the courtyards, a very ugly thing. Inside the building is fairly dilapidated.

Architects

Frigyes Spiegel (1866-1933) graduated in 1887 at the Technical University of Budapest. Spiegel then went to work for the office of the architect Vilmos Freud, who designed buildings in Neo-Renaissance style. Together with Fülöp Weinréb he designed around 1897/1898 at least five buildings. During this period the architect Béla Löffler  worked at the office of Frigyes Spiegel. Although Spiegel had its own office, he worked mostly together with other architects: in the period 1902-1910 with Géza Markus and from 1912-1919 with Károly Englerth. Frigyes Spiegel was one of the architects of Jewish origin, who were responsible for most of the Art Nouveau buildings in Budapest.

About Fülöp Weinréb is very little known. Based on Jewishgen, he was born in Valkocz and on March 28, 1893 he married Anna Hermina Planer. And (of course) Fülöp Weinréb also was of Jewish origin.

Photo gallery

Below a selection of interior and exterior photographs of the building on the Bajscy-Zsilinszky út 63 / Jokai utca 40.

Where can you find this building

The building is located on the VI. Bajscy-Zsilinszky út 63 / Jokai uta 40. 
The GPS coördinates of this location are:  (coming soon)
 


Budapest Architect - View the location of the Building of the Month on a larger map

(Last modification: October 12, 2012)