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

Former Stock Exchange, side facade, frieze

proximately at the same time. On a huge area, dominating the entire west side of the square, the former Stock and Commodity Exchange (no. 17 Szabadság tér) was erected between 1903 and 1908, following an invitation of tenders in 1899.

The monumental block (nos. 8-9 Szabadság tér) across from it used to be the headquarters of the former Austro-Hungarian Bank, and today houses the Hungarian National Bank. After an international tender announcement in 1901, Ignác Alpár won the contract beating competitors from Austria and Hungary. The building was completed in the amazingly short time of three years, and was ceremonially opened in 1905.

The enormous bulk of the Stock Exchange Palace, however, took longer to complete. On its central facade there are few decorations. Instead, it is dominated by various types of exotic, somewhat heterogenous architectural features. What it could be compared to is most

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