Buda Vigadó

At the end of the 19th century in the fast-developing citizenship conceived that they need a Vigadó on Buda side also. On Buda's side, there were cultural organizations but if they had any events they can not places it anywhere. The citizenship first asked the Deputy Major in 1892 to allow to set up a cultural palace in Buda's side where they can hold their functions and merriments. Unfortunately because of the lack of a good realty this project hanged fire. In 1894 the armory building became in the hands of the capital. This armory was a good make to renovate it as a Vigadó. The two realities next to the building were purchased also.

In 1986 two architects won the construction tender. They were Kallina Mór and his son-in-law, Árkay Aladár. It was very hard for them to meet with all the requests, like a theatre room, a library and other cultural purposes building in one big edifice. After the 1896 tender, the construction started 2 years later in 1898.  Between in
1898 and 1900 the building was ready with its two levels and inner courtyard which was mainly built in neo-renaissance style. The gates and the windows can be familiar from the Italian Renaissance palace architecture. The building had two gilded and one inferior frontage. On the first floor there were big sized and round-arched windows while on the upper floor they built cab-windows and these were originally such gilded and had baroque character.

If you look upon the building you can realize that this daedal is quite humble as they tried to save on the estimation. It is unbelievable that the forefront’s decorative sculptures’ fabricant is not mentioned anywhere. They can not find their names anywhere, neither in the publications neither in the history description. This is because the manufacturer could be foreign but some art historian says that Kászonyi László made the sculptures. 

The relatively simple eclectic exterior places a rich art nouveau interior decorations. In the foyer, there were marble columns and wide marble stairs take you up to the second floor which was lit by hundreds of lamps. Stall gave place for cafe and a restaurant which was receptive for four hundred people.

The 350 square feet ceremonial hall takes place on the first floor which is lit up with 270 bulbs and 3 arc-lamps. On the wall surfaces there are mirrors just as
„Evenings and Mornings” paintings by Pauli Erik. To the ceremonial hall, two more small rooms were linked. On the aisles, the library, parlor, card room and reading room were placed. On the upper levels, they formed 4 private apartments. In addition to these operated the Buda Library Association and Buda Registry Office.

Budai Vigadó was handed over by mayor Halmos János in 1900 on 20th of January. It was opened by a grand carnival ball whose patron was Klotild archduchess. Prestigious corporate persons attended to the ball from both the Buda and Pest side. At midnight an auction began and all the art objects were offered in favor of poor people on Buda. Later the ball-room was rebuilt as a theatre with 306 spaces.
 
This is the theatre today which gives a place for the Hungarian State Folk Ensemble to countenance for more than 120 times in a year. In our days this mighty giant building fills more functions. National Institute of culture housed here such as the Heritage House. 

In 1997 it has been suggested that the Budai Vigadó is the best place for the National Theatre but it was not achieved. Budai Vigadó was renovated in 2007 as the edifice requested it badly as the last exterior renovation was in 1945 after the Second World War. As the results can be seen, the sculptures got back on the ledges and the lacking mythological group of sculptures returned back above the spandrel. In front of the main entrance, there is a driveway again.

In 2011 the building became an art relic.

Source: hagyományokhaza.hu
sources of picture: Fortepan