Fabó Beáta - Gall, Anthony: I came from the East to a City of Great Palaces. Károly Kós, the early years 1907-1914 (Budapest, 2013)

Kós' First Steps as an Independent Architect

■ The Pheasant House from the lake

Magyar Építőművészet, 1912.11-12.

A. Pál Veres

HI The Pheasant House

Magyar Iparművészet, 1910.4..

H Right: Carved bird motifs

László Haris

THE PHEASANT HOUSE

RENOVATED WITH MINOR ALTERATIONS

‘Although the Pheasant House was modelled upon its counterpart in the Berlin zoo, our own architects have followed their Hungarian inspirations in choosing a style from the home country of wooden spires - Transylvania. The building is long rather than tall; with yards covered by wire and surrounded by fences, with shrubbery, lawn and trickling water in them and creeping flowering vines running up its fences. The pheasants with their lavish plummage, the various poultry and grouse, partridges, pigeons and doves from all around the world reside here, not as sad individual specimens, but in small family groups’. M£ 19096la

Its structure is similar to the yard formed by the Farmyard and its outhouses. The central element of the composition is not the building but the front garden, with the building serving as its background. The pavilion is set on an elevation and thus forms a wall to hide the railway lines from sight. There is a carved trellis between the small pavilions at either end of the building. A set of steps with a stone banister lead up to the porch, which is crowned by a lean tower. The trelliswork serves to connect the interior of the building and its environment.

The building was totally renovated in 1998. The original wooden pergola was reconstructed in larger form, and an additional aviary was added to the rear of the building, where it meets the railway line. A reconstruction of the lamp designs by Kós originally made for the Székely National Museum can be seen in the building, including the notable ‘Zrumeczky’ memorial lantern in the front garden.

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