And it has an interesting history - but what and where is it?
"Bonne année!" hard-core KesterTester sleuther Hubert "Le Poirot" Warsmann wrote in an email to me last week, adding "In case you don’t recognise it [this building], everyone living in Bp has passed by it and it has an interesting history."
Well, that's a pretty bold statement, but I'm flummoxed as to what and where it is - and that's after Hubert gave me an extra clue. I asked him not to give me any more because I want to solve this one myself - but so far it's eluded me.
So how about you? Answers please either via the website or in an email - kindly put GT125 (or KT125, it doesn't really matter) in your title so I don't lose your brilliant insight, and your number slip may go into the EU approved Black Woolly hat to possibly win fame, fortune and the right to buy me two beers. Well, in this case, perhaps me and Hubert a beer each.
If nobody gets it, I'll post the extra clue later this week to help you along too.
Oh, and I always forget - real professionals beg you to like the post - I'm not sure why, but anyway, would be good to see if this appeal works :)
And that's it for now, happy sleuthing!
UPDATE: Competitors and the WINNER!
First in was Stefan Szecsei:
“Kester,
Well, I wouldn't say that everyone in Budapest has passed by the building, but a great many have. It's not a million miles from where you live in fact. Clue - Buda side. It's Bauhaus which might otherwise point to the XIII district in Pest, but it's not there. I came across it one day by chance when killing time in one of the smarter parts of the city, as one does. It's rather eye-catching but not necessarily from the frontal aspect where it blends into the surrounding facades.”
Interesting, Stefan – but where/what is it?
An hour or so later, Peter Bombeld swooped:
“Yes Kester, you found out in which neighborhood I'm living :-)
It's the iconic Dugattyús ház.”
Oh, is that right? Well, Tamas Simonyi has other ideas, pointing to District XIII no less.
“Hi Kester, this is Pozsonyi út 38, the building of Dunapark Kávéház, photographed from the inside.
Best Tamas”
Hmmm. That's a possibility that had passed me by and I was there just before Christmas, Tamas.
Judit Csernyanszky also has other thoughts, tentatively suggesting:
“Kútvölgyi kórház?”
That's one I didn't think of, Judit.
Bob Dent then hit the keys to state:
“I reckon this striking building can be found at the corner of Margit krt and Rómer Flóris utca in District II. If I am right, it's probably due to the fact that I used to live not far away, so I often passed by it.
From what I can gather the apartment block was completed in 1938 for the Manfred Weiss Pension Fund and was noted for being one of the largest and most impressive works of Hungarian modernist architecture with many attractive features, such as its circular lifts.
Bob”
David Thompson confidently stepped forward next:
“Dear Kester,
Just for once, I recognised the photo instantly. The building is the Dugattyus Haz (the Piston House) an H shaped apartment building dating from 1937-8.
The photo is of the connecting section containing the central staircase and is taken from Rómer Flóris u. a street climbing from Margit Krt up Rózsadomb.
The address of the upper wing is Mecset u 1-3 and the lower wing faces onto Margit Krt (15-17).”
Hmmmm, that's pretty specific, David.
“But there is no shame in your not recognising the staircase even though Margit körút is the main route on the Buda side funnelling traffic onto the Margit Bridge and the staircase can be seen from the tram.”
Ah, I feel a lot better for that, thanks!
“I first read about the building a few years ago in some article or book about modernist architectural gems in Budapest and was very surprised that I had travelled along Margit körút countless times and not spotted it. So I checked it out. And can now claim my 15 seconds of fame, etc!”
If your number comes out of the hat, the fame lasts far longer than that, honest David.
“I've never been inside but I see that there is a good short 2023 article about the building with lots of interesting photos on We Love Budapest https://welovebudapest.com/cikk/2023/08/06/budapesti-lepcsohazak-budai-bauhaus-avagy-a-hires-dugattyus-haz-a-margit-koruton/
Best wishes, David”
Zoltán Török took a little time of calculating the GDP numbers to announce:
“Dear Kester,
I do not know whether my answer is late or not.”
Not at all, fire away Zoli.
“Anyway. I do not know it for sure, but my guess is the picture is taken from the internal yard of the beautiful building at Margit körút 15/17. My favourite building in Buda. Wonderful from the outside, but even more fantastic from the inside. Many years ago I visited a very distant relative’s apartment there.
Zoli”
Annabel Barber swung by to say:
“It’s the Weiss Manfred building on Margit körút/Rómer Flóris.”
Short and sweet, Annabel, but nice to have you here. Haven't heard from you for a while!
Gergely Haris arrived to give me a bit of a telling off:
“Come on, Kester, ...”
Oooch Gergely! David forgave me my ignorance, you know!
“... this is the famous "Dugattyús ház" on Margit körút! A bauhaus masterpiece, still standing today... has gorgeous elevators!”
I have written to Hubert “Le Poirot” Warsmann to confirm the piccie is indeed of the Dugattyús ház, but without a reply so far, I checked myself, and indeed from the web it's pretty clear.
So, I make that six paper slips (sorry, Stefan, you didn't identify the building!) need to go into the EU-Approved, Black Woolly-Draw Hat, all in the hope of winning the glory of taking the KesterGuesterTester125 prize, winning Global Celebrity Status and the chance to buy me two beers.
So, having said that – the slips go in, the audience draws in their breath and the number drawn is … 3 – corresponding to Mr David Thompson!
Congratulations, David, just be aware the crowds will likely be gathering early tomorrow morning demanding selfies – they are not put off by the cold in any way, you know!
Just to mention that I did take a good look at this building as I went by on the tram on Thursday, but I could not recognise it from the fleeting glimpse I got. I'll simply have to walk by and examine it on the ground, I suspect.
Thanks to Hubert for the photo and everyone for 'having a go' and making the contest interesting! Now I'd better get down to finding another KesterTester for later next week.
UPDATE 2:
Misi "have-a-go" Hollos wrote in to say "Blow me" - well, ok, it was a bit ruder than that -
"When, at long last I would have come up with the correct answer for a KT, I missed the deadline!
I knew this building is in Margit krt (I've seen it quite a few times). I had no idea however that it's called Dugattyús ház."
Misi has had a bit of a difficult time of late, however, so we can forgive him on this, can't we?
Meanwhile Hubert "Le Poirot" has been ferreting away on the subejct of the Tester. (Slightly edited to merge to emails).
"As mentioned in some answers, the building dates from the late 30’s and was developed as rental residential property by the pension fund of the Weiss Manfred Factories, an illustrious Csepel business.
It was designed by the pair of Béla Hofstätter & Férenc Domány. Both had studied at the MüEgyetem, but not together as Domány was about 10 years younger than Hofstätter. Hofstätter started a practice in Budapest soon after graduation and eventually specialized in modernist residential buildings. Domány continued his studies in Berlin and started his career there in the 20’s with some success and prestigious buildings to his name. He returned to Hungary in the mid 30’s.
Domány joined the Hofstätter practice upon his return to Budapest and the pair designed many of the most significant modernist buildings of the interwar period in Budapest. This one and the Dunapark Café building on Szent istvan Park / Pozsonyi út 38/42 are their surviving flagship realisations. Interestingly enough, the Dunapark building was also developed for a major industrial concern of the era, the Alföldi Cukorgyár Rt. Both buildings were meant to target the high end of the market; both display similar and spectacular staircases as well as very high attention to details. The lifts of the Buda building remain space-age 90 years on; while the lifts in the Pest building are more conventional. The reader who suggested a XIII ker location for this KT was on the mark as Hofstätter, alone or in association with Domány, designed most of the modernist buildings in Uj Lipotvaros.
Férenc Domány left Hungary and moved to London sometimes in 1939. Sources differ as to where he died, possibly Folkestone or Croydon or London, sometime towards the end of the year. The death was apparently caused by an overdose of sleeping pills, whether this was accident or suicide remains disputed.
Béla Hofstätter remained in Hungary but his practice suffered from the anti-Jewish laws of the era. Towards the end of the war, he and his wife sought refuge in a children home in Budakeszi, where they were eventually arrested and assassinated by the Arrow Cross in December 1944. Again, details are not fully clear. Some say this happened in Budakeszi; others say he had stayed in his Dunapark flat and was shot on the Danube banks."
Thank you, Hubert, for your detailed research!
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