Builder Pays Homage to Art Nouveau Architecture

As a private individual, why did you decide to set up a permanent exhibition occupying two floors of a building in central Budapest?

The reason was my admiration for Secessionism. The building was designed by architect Emil Vidor on commission by the renowned art collector Béla Bedő in 1903. It is an exceptional example of Hungarian Secessionism, following the example of the French. The façade, the original lead-glass windows, the locks and the motives on the entry are awe-inspiring. I run a construction business and worked with my company nearby on the InterEurópa Bank building around 2002. That was when I first noticed this façade. I find the art of the Secessionism unique even if it was looked down upon because of the "progressive approach" of the 20^th century. Alfréd Hajós used to live in the building opposite and some old tenants from there still remember how he would stand in the street, staring at the Bedő house and say: what an ugly building, it should be demolished.

What was the building like before the restoration?

A row of square-shaped windows was cut in it. The neighbouring building functioned for quite some time as the headquarters of SZÖVOSZ (Council of Retail Trade Co-operatives) and the dividing wall was demolished to make room for a canteen for 1,000 people. The original ground-to-ceiling height was 6 metres because the ground floor was originally used for a carpenter's workshop and they had some large machines. This was too high for a company canteen, so it was converted very unprofessionally. After the change of system in 1989, the Trade and Tourism School was given access to the ground floor for classes. When the school was moved to a new building in 2003, the local council invited applications to rent out nearly 600 square metres of floor space. An art historian had to approve the objects I was intending to use for the permanent exhibition to be set up here. Then I submitted an application and won the rental rights and also the right to renovate the building. I was assisted in the project by the architect Attila Benkovich and the architecture historian János Gerle, a first-class expert of the period. We used old photographs to reconstruct the arched wood-framed portal and we also changed the interior. The entire façade has been restored to its original design.

Was it the architect's idea to break through the floor under the carved legs of benches along the wall on the mezzanine floor and to install ornamented windows there?

It was me who proposed breaking through the floor under the benches and we worked with a glass designer on the windows, using original motifs. The patterns on the wall along the wooden staircase and the metal railing reappear in several parts of the building. The objects on display were approved by Katalin Gellér, an expert from the Gödöllő Workshop who is a renowned authority and researcher of Secessionism. I tried to create complete interiors in the salons and living rooms behind the café on the ground floor, as well as in a dining area, bathroom, bedroom and dressing corner on the mezzanine floor. Cutlery sets, vases and tablecloths are displayed in the basement, along with a tobacco corner, an office desk and lobby for guests.

How did you go about acquiring the objects in the collection?

I have been buying objects, furniture and paintings from the Secessionism era for many decades. Everything you can see here has been restored. All of these objects are still functioning, even the gas fireplace on the mezzanine floor can be used. The light-blue tile-heater will be in use in winter. Interiors, objects, a café with period furnishings, and a small souvenir shop and jewellery shop on the mezzanine floor, offering small objects at reasonably prices. The entrance fee is low and the café is not expensive either. I do not expect this to be a business venture, I will be satisfied if it breaks even. We opened less than a month ago and I cannot tell whether it will pay for the heating bill.