Museum architecture between the two world wars

MúzeumCafé 46.

The history of architecture in the interwar period can be dated to the deaths of two outstanding architects, Ödön Lechner (d 1914) and Béla Lajta (d 1920). The quarter century was characterised by a multiplicity of styles, which was quite noticeable in every area of architecture. Museums represented a particular style of public building. After the foundation of the Hungarian National Museum and the opening in 1846 of its building, there was a gap. Then, between 1867 and 1895, 15 museums were established. Hungary’s 1896 Millenary celebrations gave a boost to the spread of museums. By 1905 49 new museums appeared. The beginning of the 20th century didn’t witness a continuation of this upswing in museums being founded and in the interwar period, although attempts were made to support the functioning of museums, this was not manifest primarily in the construction of new buildings. There were some constructions which had started prior to World War I but then suspended, only to be completed after the war. One such was the Palóc Museum in Balassagyarmat, designed by Gyula Wälder (1884–1944), whose plans were accepted after a design competition. István Medgyaszay (1877–1959), who designed the museum in Veszprém, came from a family of architects. A documentary film was made referring to him as ‘The Bartók of Architecture’. Dénes Györgyi (1886–1961) was one of the most significant architects of the interwar era. Designing the museum in Debrecen represented an alluring and extremely interesting task for him. Györgyi used his experience in designing two earlier museums when he planned the Balaton Museum in Keszthely. Construction was undertaken from 1925 to 1928 and although the collections were moved there in 1935, final completion of the building didn’t take place until the end of the 30s.