Beautiful Budapest: Archduke Joseph’s Palace getting the treatment it deserves
The restoration of one of the most striking stages in the rebirth of the Archduke Joseph’s Palace – the installation of its decorative elements – is slowly drawing to a close.
On the western side, the carved keystones adorned with lion heads have been placed in their final positions above the grand, arched windows of the ballroom. The massive ornaments, made of limestone from Süttő, were lifted into place on the façade with the help of a crane.
On the southern side, the “dressing” of the building has already been completed: with the scaffolding removed, another breathtaking section of the palace’s ornamentation has come into view.
The lion-headed brackets, the corner pediments crowned with decorative crests, and the cornices with their elegant series of arches are now all visible. Work on the other sections of the building continues according to the planned schedule, so further façades will soon be unveiled as the scaffolding comes down.
During the reconstruction, various techniques are being used to install the façade’s ornamental elements. The plinth is built using a traditional method, with carved limestone blocks placed on top of each other, while for the upper parts an innovative, modern solution has been adopted.
High-load-bearing brackets are mounted onto the façade to support limestone and specially cast elements produced with advanced technology. The advantage of this new method is that it allows the façade to “breathe”: air can freely circulate through the gaps between the wall insulation and the façade panels. In this way, the elegance of traditional materials is combined with the benefits of modern technology.
Archduke Joseph’s Palace in Budapest was completed in 1906 in a historicist style, based on the designs of Flóris Korb and Kálmán Giergl, through the reconstruction of the former Teleki Palace. Although the building suffered serious but not irreparable damage during the Siege of Budapest in 1944–45, it was demolished in 1968 for ideological reasons.
As part of the Nemzeti Hauszmann Program (National Hauszmann Programme), the palace’s exterior façade and roof are now being faithfully rebuilt according to the original plans, while the interior will see the rebirth of the magnificent grand staircase and the imposing, double-height ceremonial hall.
Once restored, the reconstructed Archduke Joseph’s Palace in Budapest will serve as the distinguished home of Hungary’s Constitutional Court.