Pongrácz Erzsébet: The Cinemas of Budapest - Our Budapest (Budapest, 1998)

(New) Lipótváros, attracted much attention with its highly functional arrangement as well as its glamorous design when presented to those working in the field,” reported the 13 October 1937 issue of Mozi Újság (Cinema News). This was followed by two good years before the war put an end to the cinema’s prosperity. In 1949 the already na­tionalised establishment was given a new name - Duna. This is where Odeon, the finest art video rental operates today. ÁTRIÜM (1936) 55 Margit körút, district II A peculiar feature of Budapest is that, due to historical and geographical circumstances, the majority of the city’s theatres, museums and cinemas are on the Pest side of the Danube. Rapid growth of the city eventually meant in­creasing demands, and those living on the Buda side wanted to add an elegant and beautiful cinema to the ex­isting smaller ones. Thus in 1935, the construction of a new, modern apartment building started on Margit körút. The architect of the complex, Lajos Kozma designed lux­urious flats for the upper stories, while the ground-floor level was to house a cinema with a capacity in the region of seven hundred. With the realisation of the designer’s dreams an old wish of Buda’s citizenry came to life in 1936 when the newest cinema of Budapest was ceremonially in­augurated and the Atrium opened its doors. As a premiere 23

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