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

H Károly Kós and his partner Dénes Györgyi designed several buildings together, as depicted by this hand-illustrated advertisement

private collection

PRIMARY SCHOOL AND KINDERGARTEN IN VÁROSMAJOR, BUDAPEST____

1910-1911

‘I didn’t accept the position of chief-engineer offered by the Mayor of Budapest but did accept the temporaray job teaching building-construction in the Municipal Technical Drawing School. I also took the offer to do the planning of the school building complex (school, kindergarten, staff housing etc.) with colleague Dénes Györgyi and oversee the construction works. As a result Ifeltfinancially mostly stable’. KOSI99I: ui-112.

Mayor István Bárczy, during his term in office launched a large-scale school building campaign in Budapest. 55 primary schools and 18 kindergartens were built between 1909 and 1912. Apart from the established architects working in a historicist style, some members of the younger generation were also involved in designing these schools- among them Dezső Zrumeczky, Béla Lajta, Károly Kós and Dénes Györgyi. The aesthetic quality of most of the buildings was further enhanced by excellent artwork featuring in the additional decorations. Designing the school complex of Városmajor was assigned to Károly Kós and Dénes Györgyi.

The furniture was designed by Miklós Menyhért. The sculptural reliefs at the entrance and the drinking fountains in the corridors are the work of sculptor Ferenc Sidló. The street fence and the separate entrance were later demolished. Significant restoration work has occurred since the late 1990s.

S Side entrance to the School in Áldás street, 1913

László Alapfy

Hi School in Áldás street, Budapest, by Dezső Zrumeczky, main facade October, 1911.

BFL XV.17.d.329/15053—54—9

H School in Áldás street, Budapest in 2013

László Alapfy

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