Design Competition for the Fonciére Palace, Andrássy Avenue, Budapest – A Pivotal Moment

Abstract

The subject of this article is the building history and urban significance of the former ‘Fonciére Palace’1 at 2 Andrássy Avenue, Budapest. It is a five-storey building facing three streets, built in neo-renaissance style in 1882. It became a listed building in 2013, and is important in the life’s work of Adolf Feszty. The stage by stage analysis of the of the design competition is of considerable importance, as the competition was a turning point in the developing architectural culture in early 1880s Budapest. Feszty’s role in the competitions’ history is discussed in this article. Architects’ reaction to the building’s emphasized urban situation became the competition’s key issue. Feszty’s solution to this was a monumental cupola on the corner, which was damaged during World War 2 and later pulled down. The absence of the cupola radically decreases the building’s architectural values. The present form of the palace is lacking; its effect on the urban landscape is much less impressive.