Cifrapalota (Ornamented Palace), Kecskemét
A palace iced like a cake in coloured ceramic: Hungarian folk art turned into Art Nouveau, tile by tile.
At a glance
The Cifrapalota, the “Ornamented Palace”, on the main square of Kecskemét is among the most exuberant works of the Hungarian Secession. Géza Márkus, a pupil of Ödön Lechner, built it in 1902–1903, sheathing the front in coloured Zsolnay majolica and folk-art motifs, hearts, tulips and flowing forms. Built as apartments and shops, it now houses an art gallery.
Key facts
- Location: Rákóczi út 1, Kecskemét
- Architect: Géza Márkus
- Built: 1902–1903
- Style: Hungarian Secession (Art Nouveau)
- Today: Kecskemét art gallery / museum
History
Kecskemét prospered on its vineyards and wanted buildings to show it, and around 1900 the town filled with Secession architecture. Márkus, trained in the orbit of Lechner, designed the Cifrapalota for a private owner as flats over shops.
He drew on Hungarian folk art and the glazed ceramics of the Zsolnay works to cover it in colour. Restored, it now belongs to the city and holds a gallery of art, the most photographed building in town.
What you see
The façade is a field of pattern: blue, green and gold Zsolnay tiles, stylised hearts and tulips, and walls that seem to ripple. A great curved gable rises over the corner. It is folk art at architectural scale, the Hungarian answer to Art Nouveau worked entirely in ceramic.
Practical information
- Open: as a gallery; closed some weekdays
- Cost: gallery admission
- Best for: the majolica façade and folk-art ornament
- Time needed: 30–45 minutes
Getting there
The palace is on the main square of Kecskemét, in central Hungary, about an hour by train south-east of Budapest.
Nearby
- Kecskemét Town Hall — Lechner’s Secession town hall on the square
- Kossuth tér — the central square the palace faces
Sources
- Wikipedia — Cifrapalota
- Kecskemét / Hungarian heritage register — building information
- Wikimedia Commons — image source and licence
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