Ödön Lechner was a pioneer of the Hungarian Secessionist architecture. Some of his most famous works are the Museum of Applied Arts, the Postal Savings Bank or the Saint Laszlo Parish Church. His work had a huge impression on the following architect generation.
Ödön Lechner was born in 1845 in Pest, in a civil family. From 1866 he studied at the Bauakademie in Berlin, then travelled around Italy, and a year later he opened a architect office with his former fellow student, Gyula Pártos. They created plans for mostly tenement houses, following the German Academic style. Between 1874 and 1878 he worked in France, restoring monuments. Then he went to England to work, and later returned home. He created plans for the building of the City Hall in Szeged, the MÁV Pensions Institute in Budapest and the Milkó House in Szeged, following the Historicist style. In 1889 he returned to England; he had some remarkable impressions here that defined his latter style, for example when creating plans for the later demolished castle in Zsámbok. Later Lechner turned towards the Hungarian, the Indian and the Persian folk art. The Postal Savings Bank built by his plans was finished in 1901; its building now is home for the Hungarian State Treasury. One of his most remarkable works is the Saint Laszlo Parish Church of Kőbánya in the 10th district of Budapest, but he designed the catholic Saint Elizabeth Church in Bratislava as well. In 1911 in Rome he got an award for his life-work. He had several followers among the young architect generation. He died in 1914 in Budapest.
One of His Most Renowned Works, the Museum of Applied Arts
Ödön Lechner and his colleague, Gyula Pártos won the tender of the Museum of Applied Arts and School in 1891. The museum was built between 1893 and 1896, in Secessionist style. The decoration elements of the museum, the usage of floral patterns, the pyrogranite elements and the glazed pottery was considered to be extraordinary that time. The roof and the dome of the building are covered by Zsolnay ceramics. The 4 statues standing on the roof of the building made by sculptor Ignác Oppenheimer symbolize the 4 fields of applied arts (ceramics, jewelry, decorative sculpture and textile art).
Source:
hu.wikipedia.org
Photo:
flickr.com
