Rózsa György: The Palace of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences

II. The building

above the central window. This and the genius above the other windows is the work of Miklós Izsó (1831 -1875), an outstanding Hungarian sculptor of the 19th century. The inscriptions above the windows are the following: HAZAFIAK ALAPÍTOTTÁK [Founded by Patriots] / MDCCCXXV - MŰKÖDNI KEZDETT [Commenced Operation] / MDCCCXXXI - NEMZETI RÉSZVÉT EMELTE [Raised by the Nation] / MDCCCLX - HÁZA FELÉPÜLT [Its Palace Completed] I MDCCCLXIV. A frieze inscribed with „MAGYAR TUDOMÁNYOS AKADÉMIA [Hungarian Academy of Sciences] and a cornice tops the main floor and supports the paired Corinthian columns and wall pilasters of the upper floor. These are smaller and less richly decorated. There are statues in the intercolumniations and the space above them is decorated with terracotta Apollon and Minerva heads set in medallions. The attic crown mould above the three-sectional main beam is supported by helical corbels. The projection is topped by an attic with baluster railing and sturdy pilasters. Once terracotta sphinxes stood at its corners but they had to be removed later because of damage. The side walls of the projection contain round-arched windows on ground level alone, otherwise only the terracotta frieze, running on from the facade between the Corinthian wall pilasters and their capitals, brightens up their surface. The facades of the quartaxial wings are only two storeys high, and much simpler than the projection. With the exception of the cellar windows, all the other windows are round-arched, arranged in pairs on the upper floors. The effect of the larger windows of the main floor alternating with Corinthian wall pilasters is emphasized by baluster railings continuing the balustraded balcony of the projection. The balustered attic also extends towards tire wings but, in contrast to the projection at second floor level. On ground level the wings end in a rusticated wall pilaster which extends towards the first floor into a Tuscan wall pilaster framed with lath. On the two sides of the second floor stand the terracotta statues of Galilei and Miklós Révai the linguist, while above the attic the corners are brought into prominence by candelabra. The finish of the crown mould is similar to that of the projection. * The simpler Akadémia Street facade has 15 axes, in the ninth of which from the left is a gate. Besides the cornice, the wall surface is broken up alternately by round-arched windows and Corinthian wall pilasters. Under the first floor 12