Skalniczky Antal

Born in Lak (today called Geresdlak), a small town near Pécs, Szkalnitzky went on to study architecture in Prague, Vienna and Berlin, completing his degree in 1859. His numerous later travels took in places such as Transylvania, Dalmatia, Croatia and Italy. He worked in the studios of Friedrich August Stüler between 1858 and 1859 and was awarded the Berlin building academy's silver medal. In 1861, he was elected director of the the newly formed National Hungarian Artistic Group and taught at the Budapest Polytechnic from 1862 to 1870. He was awarded a prize at the Vienna World Fair for his design of Oktogon Square in Budapest, arguably his greatest achievement. He was one of the main representatives of historicism, including elements of Italian and French Renaissance design in his buildings. From 1868 to 1874, he practised in partnership with Henrik Koch. Szkalnitzky died in Lipótmező on June 9, 1878.