Miklós Ybl was one of the most renowned Hungarian architects of the 19th century. His most famous work is the building of the Hungarian State Opera House located at Andrássy út in Budapest. Ybl made the plans of the St. Stephen's Basilica and the First Savings Bank of Pest as well.
Miklós Ybl was born in Székesfehérvár in 1814 as a son of a tradesman. Between 1825 and 1841 he studied in Paris, Munich and Italy. In 1841 in Budapest he opened the Architecture Institute with the son of architect Mihály Pollack, Ágoston Pollack. In 1845 Count István Károlyi entrusted him with reconstructing his castle in Fót, and Ybl became his personal architect soon. In 1860 Count István Széchenyi entrusted him with another job of building a church on his manor in Nagycenk. Ybl created the plans of the National Riding Hall this time as well, but the building was demolished in the World War II. After 1864 he designed his buildings not in Romantic, but in Neo-Renaissance style. The constructions of the Congress Hall and the Main Customs House began in 1865 and in 1870. The Várkert-bazár (Castle Garden Bazaar) was constructed by his plans as well, copying the structure of French, German and Italian hanging gardens. Ybl continued the constructions of the St. Stephen's Basilica begun by József Hild, but he couldn't finish it, because he died in 1891. The work was continued by József Kauser.
His Most Important Work, the Hungarian State Opera House
In 1873 Frigyes Podmaniczky invited applications for a tender for making the plans of the Hungarian State Opera House, which was won by Miklós Ybl. The constructions begun in 1975, Ybl became the construction manager. The building was supposed to be built according to the contemporary customs, but Ybl used the Parisian opera house, not the one in Dresden as a sample when making the plans of the Hungarian State Opera House – despite that time the structure of the opera house of Dresden was considered as a sample to be followed. The more than 5 thousand square-meter building was opened on the 27th of September 1884 with the performance of the Hungarian opera Bánk bán in the presence of Emperor Franz Joseph I. The building located at Andrássy út is one of the most important 19th century monuments of the capital and the country. Its inner design was created by famous Hungarian artists like Bertalan Székely and Károly Lotz. Besides its own ensemble the Opera House is home for the Hungarian State Ballet as well.
Source:
hu.wikipedia.org
Photo:
flickr.com
