hungarian organic architecture budapest museum of applied artson until september 13th, 2009

miercurea ciuc church in romania by imre makovecz image courtesy of mihály debreczeni

after its sister institutions in london (1857) and vienna (1864), the budapest museum of applied arts was the third museum of its kind to be established in europe (1872). the museum is one of the most extravagant and extraordinary buildings of its era, completed by architect odön lechner (1845-1914) whose work constituted an attempt to define a peculiarly hungarian style, a magyar parallel to what gaudí was doing for catalonia. the blend exotic eastern motifs refers to the magyars’ origins in central asia – green and gold roof tiles meant to evoke a dragon rising from the city streets, while the decorated planes of its walls echo the carpets and embroideries hung inside the yurts and tents of an earlier nomadic existence. this search for an essence of hungarianness makes the museum a perfect venue for the first major retrospective of a neglected corner of contemporary architecture.

the new organic architecture was forged by imre makovecz. makovecz’s most spectacular buildings include the farkasrét funerary chapel of 1975, a dark, sinister timber ribcage that alludes to the resurrection parable of jonah and the whale, and the exquisite church at paks (1987), a sensual structure that emerges from the landscape to embrace and swallow the worshipper into its scaly body.

hungarian organic architecture exhibition at budapest museum of applied artsinterior of miercurea ciuc church by imre makoveczimage courtesy of george draskóy

hungarian organic architecture exhibition at budapest museum of applied artsstephaneum – campus in piliscsaba, hungary by imre makovecz image courtesy of bob tarjan

hungarian organic architecture exhibition at budapest museum of applied artssiofok church, hungary by imre makovecz image courtesy of jo peattie

hungarian organic architecture exhibition at budapest museum of applied artsinterior of church in paks, hungary by imre makovecz image courtesy of mária horánym