Földes Mária: Ornamentation - Our Budapest (Budapest, 1993)

No. 8 József Attila utca, apartment building, facade

garian General Savings Bank, at no. 8 József Attila utca across the square, represents a different style. The graceful proportions, and the almost French-looking lightness of the nicely restored coloured facade of this building (designed by Artúr Meinig and completed around 1898) provides a refreshing change from the overall seriousness of the square. In place of sculptural decoration the articulation of the facade is achieved with the help of fine colouring and varied window-openings. The beautiful wrought iron balcony railing, and the gateway with the initials above it make the overall impression even more spacious. The sculptural elements are provided by the keystones in the shape of lion heads, and, as a playful allusion to the building’s function, the coloured bee-hive figure surrounded by bees on the central projection of the facade.

Turning the corner we reach Nádor utca, which is rightly called the “street of banks”. Out of the four

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