Meskó Csaba: Thermal Baths - Our Budapest (Budapest, 1999)

The actual construction of today's Gellért Baths began in 1911 and the building, named St Gellért Medicinal Baths and Hotel, was inaugurated on 26 September 1918. The architects were Artúr Sebestyén, Ármin Hegedűs and Izidor Sterk.

The baroque-type silhouettes of the cupolas topping this monumental, late Art Nouveau building are indeed magnificent when regarded from the bridge. The hotel has its entrance on Gellért tér. The two sides of the faqade are decorated with reliefs by Aladár Gárdos.

Entrance to the baths is situated on the Kelenhegyi út side, opposite Gellért Hill. Its huge, richly segmented arch is supported by József Róna’s sculptural groups representing recovery. From the foyer covered with coloured ceramic mosaics opens a large cloakroom, whose ornamentation alludes to the floral motifs characteristic of Hungarian folk art. From here the visitor proceeds to the seventy-four metres by eleven, impressive glass-topped central hall with a gallery along its walls above. This huge hall, from which the foyers of all the baths open, serves as a pleasant waiting and resting area.

Based on the fine cartoons of the painter Vince Hende, the ten ornamental windows of the main hall were made

The bubble bath of Gellert

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