Miklós Ybl

Architect Ernő Schannen was a master of residential houses - He mastered design in the office of Ybl and Hauszmann Ernő Schannen is a little-known member of the architectural community at the turn of the century. However, his work significantly contributed to the development of Budapest's cityscape, he developed a unique style, in Pest and Buda we can find residential houses designed by him in many places, but he also created a hospital and a bank building, and also castles in the countryside.

The meeting of a unique sculptor and the cult of Arany - Description of a period with the help of a 130-year-old famous monument in Pest 130 years ago the first public statue of János Arany was inaugurated in front of the main entrance of the Hungarian National Museum. In a new book that has just been published, not only is the entire history of the monument and the adventurous life of its creator, Alajos Stróbl, revealed to the readers, but they can also see how the people of the 19th century thought and debated, what they considered beautiful and right, what they were different from or just similar to people now. The book, which is also rich in images, is both a colourful introduction and an exciting description of a period.

Hidden in the Strong Room - This is how the Holy Crown was kept in Buda Castle Today, it is taken for granted that anyone can view the Holy Crown of Hungary. But for centuries it was stored in a closed chest with iron straps, protected by keys and seals, and could only be taken out on special holidays, such as the coronation in 1867, the millennium celebration in 1896 or the Eucharistic Congress in 1938. On the occasion of the return of the fearfully guarded national treasure 45 years ago, Pestbuda presents the conditions under which the crown was guarded in Buda Castle.

The death of Ábrahám Ganz caused a shock - He was the godfather of 64 factory workers' children, who all inherited Ábrahám Ganz, the respected manufacturer from Buda, committed suicide 155 years ago, on 15 December 1867. The Ganz Factory, barely more than 20 years old, was at the peak of its success, and Ganz himself was a recognised citizen of Buda. With his death, he left a huge void, as he had no heir who could have taken over the family business. However, the factory survived and rose to incredible heights.

Master of Romanticism Hugó Máltás passed away 100 years ago Hugó Máltás is one of our lesser-known architects, even though he had an extremely long career and life: he died at the age of ninety-four, in 1922. The fact that his name did not enter the public consciousness can be attributed to his much more busy contemporaries, primarily Miklós Ybl. However, Máltás also designed quite a lot, especially during the period of Romanticism. A summary of his works is presented below.

The Medgyaszay Hall in the Opera House building was inaugurated A new event space of 430 square metres was handed over in the building of the Opera House. The Medgyaszay Hall, which can accommodate 100 people, can also be home to song evenings, exhibitions, chamber concerts, youth programs, choir and children's choir rehearsals.

The Bakáts Square Church designed by Miklós Ybl has been completed The renovation of the Bakáts Square Church in Ferencváros has been completed. With the expansion of the crypt, a new urn burial section was created, the church received a new floor covering, the plaster was restored and restoration work was carried out. The new altar was also consecrated at the weekend.

Even the economic crisis could not stop construction – The first Neo-Renaissance houses on Andrássy Avenue Similar to the last few crisis-filled years, there were also economic difficulties in the past centuries, which also had an impact on the construction industry. Such was the crisis of 1873, which very sensitively affected the mega-investment of the era, the constructions along Andrássy Avenue. Fortunately, construction began here as early as 1872 - i.e., 150 years ago - and some residential houses were soon completed, setting a good example for further construction.

Interior transformation of the National Museum - The building was also expanded with a hidden floor The Hungarian National Museum is one of the iconic buildings of our country, so since it was handed over in 1847, attention has been paid to its condition. By the beginning of the 20th century, however, its collection had already grown to such an extent that excessive crowding made its operation impossible. Some of the preserved material was transported to other buildings, and then in 1926, its large-scale restoration began, during which a hidden, third floor was also created in 1927 - ninety-five years ago.

Surroundings of Buda Castle - The historic gardens are being renewed The National Hauszmann Program covers not only the reconstruction of the buildings of the Buda Palace District, but also the renovation of the gardens surrounding them. The royal environment at the turn of the century naturally also demanded eye-catching green surfaces, on which an army of gardeners worked. This wonderful environment survived the siege relatively unscathed, but the rebuilding after World War II did not spare it, so in fact these gardens can also be considered huge losers of deliberate destruction.

The dome of St. Stephen's Basilica went up in flames 75 years ago The construction of the largest church in Budapest took a very long time in accordance with its size, it filled the second half of the 19th century and even extended a little into the 20th century. It was finished in 1905, but forty years later a scaffolding was put up again: the damage caused by World War II had to be repaired. However, the renovation caused even more trouble, with an accidental fire burning the entire dome.

Ágoston Pollack, born 215 years ago on this day, created in the shadow of his father Ágoston Pollack, the son of the outstanding classicist architect, Mihály Pollack, designed several public and private buildings in Pest and Buda. Most of it has been demolished and rebuilt, many of his plans have survived only in the form of documentation. Ágoston Pollack also collaborated with Miklós Ybl and his own father, for example on the expansion of Szent Rókus Hospital. Ágoston Pollack's activity and appreciation were relegated to the background in the shadow of his father's masterpieces, although at the sight of his plans we can say that he was one of the outstanding architects of his time.

Only a house around the corner - An important place in the cultural history of Hungary on Üllői Road The residential house at 17 Üllői Road, on the corner of Erkel Street, does not stand out from its surroundings, it has no special decorations, it is proportionate and simple. Yet it is important and worth presenting because it was the home and meeting place of prominent personalities who had a tremendous impact on Hungarian literature, theatrical life, fine arts, and architecture.

Before the big changes - Budapest at the time of the compromise The Austro-Hungarian Compromise, established in 1867, ushered in one of Hungary's heyday. Under the Compromise of 155 years ago, a dual system was created - hence our common word dualism, which is used to characterise the period up to 1918. This upswing has brought about great changes: as a result of industrialisation, more and more people have moved to the cities, and the population of Budapest has grown exponentially. But what was the capital like in the second half of the 1860s?

After almost 5 years, the renovated Opera House opens its doors today Restoration work began in the building of the Hungarian State Opera in October 2017. The renovation, which lasted for almost 5 years, not only serves to further illuminate one of the architectural gems of Budapest, but it also represents the basic requirements of the 21th century. The history of the construction of the Opera House also proves that these requirements have changed from time to time.

The renovated Opera House will reopen in March After a break of five seasons, the Hungarian State Opera House on Andrássy street will reopen on 12 March, now completely renewed. During the large-scale restoration and modernization, the facade of the Neo-Renaissance palace designed by Miklós Ybl was restored, the stage technology was modernized, the acoustics were improved, the orchestral trench was remodeled, and the public utility network of the Opera House was replaced. The house will open with a festive concert under the direction of Domác Plácido, Ádám Medveczky, Gergely Kesselyák and Balázs Kocsár.

The most beautiful nursery in Pest was designed by Miklós Ybl At the corner of the Nagy templom and Nap Street in Józsefváros is a beautiful house made in the Neo-Renaissance style. It is already important because of its designer, Miklós Ybl, but the client, the First Pest Nursery Association, also makes the building - still operating in education - special.

A French bridge in Budapest - The Paris engineer submitted the plans for the Margit Bridge 150 years ago The designer and contractor were sought for the Margit Bridge in an international design competition. There was a lot of discussion about the location of the bridge, as the second bridge of Budapest, which was still waiting to be united at the time, was imagined by many people elsewhere, in the southern part of the city. The tender was won by a French engineer who also built the bridge, which was very similar to the way we know Margit Bridge today.

The renovated Lónyay-Hatvany villa on the Buda Várhegy was inaugurated The villa, originally designed by Miklós Ybl and built in 1872, was bombed, burnt down and demolished during the Second World War. It was completely rebuilt after the turn of the millennium, but has stood empty for the last few years. Recently renovated for the Lajos Batthyány Foundation, the building will serve as the future headquarters of the organisation.

Budapest then and now – 6 photos showing how much the cityscape has changed over a century The change in Budapest can be surprising when looking at old pictures: the former riding hall behind the National Museum, the New Building (Újépület) on the site of the current Szabadság Square, the disappeared houses of Pest and Buda downtown, the former splendour of the Buda Palace, and the beautiful historic buildings which stood on the site of the series of hotels along the Danube. What has changed and what is constant? Take a look at the six pictures Pestbuda collected.

Diana, Margit, Erzsébet and Hungária - Forgotten baths from the past of Budapest This summer is slowly coming to an end, and the sudden cooler weather is no longer good for going to the beach. Fortunately, Budapest also has many baths, which we can visit even in cooler weather; it is enough to think of Széchenyi, Rudas or Gellért. Unfortunately, there are also a good number of baths that we can no longer enjoy today, even though they were architecturally significant as well. Here are 3 + 1 baths from the past of Budapest!

One tower or two? - The largest Orthodox church in Hungary was consecrated 220 years ago The tower of a church always has a special significance. It is an important part of the cityscape, it helps with orientation and of course a signal to the community as well. The tower (or towers) of the Greek Orthodox Church of Our Lady in Petőfi Square not only define the cityscape, but they are also signals in the history of the 220-year-old church.

The Academy operated in several palaces in Pest before moving into its headquarters Renovation of the headquarters of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences will begin soon. The Neo-Renaissance palace was built between 1862 and 1865, according to the plans of Berlin-based architect Friedrich August Stüler, and execution was controlled by renowned architects such as Miklós Ybl and Antal Szkalnitzky. The company of scientists waited forty years for the independent headquarters. The institution, founded in 1825, rented rooms in the city's famous buildings until the palace next to the Chain Bridge was completed.

Members moved to the Former House of Representatives 155 years ago Two buildings in Pest were built for the national assembly. It is well-known that the vast Parliament Building on the Danube banks, completed in 1902, is one of the largest buildings in the world, houses the National Assembly. However, the Neo-Renaissance palace, the Former House of Representatives in Bródy Sándor Street, designed by Miklós Ybl, which elected members began using 155 years ago, is older than its grand sister.

65 years of National Poetry Day – Sculptures in Budapest pay tribute to poetry For the second year in a row, the country is celebrating National Poetry Day behind closed doors. After last year's tour of statues, when Pestbuda visited the monuments of famous poets, we now showcase several works depicting poetry itself on Budapest's famous buildings.

Building of Rác Bath up for auction Although the renovation of the Rác Bath complex was completed in 2010, it has never reopened due to protracted legal and financial disputes. Now the building's condition has deteriorated so much that it needs to be renovated again. The building – owned by Rác Nosztalgia Kft., which is under liquidation – will now be put up for auction together with the hotel connected to it for 5.1 billion HUF.

From Triton's Well to Ifipark - The stories of the Castle Garden Bazaar The Neo-Renaissance garden of the Castle Garden Bazaar was built between 1874 and 1882. It is a worthy pair to any palace garden in the world and houses many details that have exciting stories to tell beyond their beauty: the Triton Fountain, the garden's budding roses, and the medieval curtain wall could each tell hundreds of stories if not sentenced to silence. So let us tell their stories for them.

International Investment Bank moved into Chain Bridge Palace The listed historical monument, Chain Bridge Palace, designed by Miklós Ybl, has become the Budapest headquarters of the International Investment Bank. The Renaissance revival building was completed in 1869 and opened in its new function on Friday.

Renovation of Danubius Fountain Completed – Footless Szava restored One of the most beautiful and largest fountains in Budapest, the Danubius Fountain on Erzsébet Square, has undergone a comprehensive renovation in recent months. Its stones have been cleaned, missing parts replaced, and even worn gilding replaced.