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Stefánia palota

alias Stefánia Palace and Cultural Centre
history of the theatresupplementtechnical dataHistoric equipment

Important events

(detail)1.6.1978 | Opening of the theatre hall

History

Architectural description

The palace was originally built for a casino between 1885 and 1895 by the plans of Artúr Meining, a German-born architect. He worked as a theatre architect at the famous Viennese studio of Fellner and Hellmer.

Meining’s work can be characterized by carefully shaped details; elegant wealth and sometimes Neo-Baroque style. These features can be recognised also in the building of the former Park Club.

The one-storey-high Neo-Baroque palace was built at the turn of the 19th century. The major well-proportioned octagonal middle pavilion is encircled with lower wings.

Recalling the atmosphere of J. F. Blondel template book; the middle pavilion has horizontally grouted surface formed with pilaster strips and niches.

The ground floor is articulated with arched closed passage gate, so called porte cochere en niche.  A baldachin framed window can be seen in the middle lifted arched niche above that located a circular dead window.

The arched closing niches of the outside middle pavilion are lower built; above the cantilever-entablature moulding closing squared windows open the circular windows. The ground floor and the storey is divided by a cantilever balcony, which, above the middle main axle, expands into a semicircular terrace. The terrace is held by arched and columned arcades.

The side-wings are articulated with three axes with lesene-niche, and formed with rounded cornered simple framed windows with keystone. The surfaces of the side-wings on the storeys are horizontally grouted; and designed with niche and arched corners. The side-wings are covered by fractioned mass sheet-metal roof. On the top of the middle pavilion stands the peak decoration.

An English park also belonged to the building. During the war the building was damaged several times. Therefore in 1948 and in 1965 minor renovations were gone on. From1948 it is the official summer building, entertaining and cultural centre, almost a summer theatre of the Hungarian Army.

 

History

Both the building complex and the extensive English style garden belonging to it, was opened on 1. May 1895, under the name of Park Club. The initiator of the constructions was baron Béla Atzél (art collector and architect), who conceived a building to host the meetings of the city officials. The constructions of the palace designed architect Artúr Meinig (1853–1904), a former colleague of Fellner and  Helmer,  started in 1885. The neo-baroque furniture with intarsia decorations was brought from London. Many important works of applied arts were part of the building’s decorations, like the world famous malachite jug, the floor vases and oriental carpets. Built originally for the purposes of casino life, from 1910 onwards, the building was mostly used as a meeting spot of industrial magnates.

The palace suffered serious damage under the war and was subsequently renovated in 1948, and some minor corrections were carried out in 1965. In 1947 the building entered under the jurisdiction of the Hungarian State Army, being also the official summer residence of the Army, used as a military service club and culture house. Between 1952 and 1956 an amateur theatre group worked in the building under the leadership of Itala Békés. Between 1956–1972 the palace hosted the Literary Stage (Irodalmi Színpad). Later, between 1977–1983 the Youth Theatre was working here with the direction of Judit Szakáll.

The theatre hall, working as an independent receiving venue, was built between 1974 and 1978. The designer was a state company, the Public Investment Corporation (Közületi Beruházó Válallat), the interior designer András Bánk. The wall coverings were designed by Laura Szerdahelyi. The theatre technology was designed by Iván Szabó-Jilek.

The theatre space has been working as such since 1. June 1978, with the capacity of 486, plus an extra 50 places for the disabled. The size of the stage is 185 m2. The new auditorium did not have a separate opening, the festive opening of the whole renovated building complex was on the 21. February 1979.

 

 

 

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