Let’s Walk Oradea and Talk Buildings

  

3. Art Nouveau buildings and... keep on walking 

Oradea, Budapest, and Vienna are on the same “axis” when it comes to Art Nouveau architecture. 

 Part of the same Empire for years, (the Austro-Hungarian Empire), they had the same designers or were influenced by the same wind of change in architecture. Their common features are noticeable and create an invisible link that connects these places and their inhabitants.  

Walking the streets of these cities today, one can easily see enormous buildings, palaces or villas, carefully cut and shaped in various geometrical forms; mysterious human faces intimidating the evil spirits; nature "climbing” the walls or decorating the balconies; birds ready to fly away; heart shapes or colorful tiles shining on the sunny days. All these elements in one style.  

Moskovits Miksa Palace- mascaron (mysterious human face)

Known in Oradea mainly as Secession or Jugendstil, this architectural style changed the face of the city and keeps on fascinating generation after generation. 

Designed mainly as a baroque town, Oradea( Nagyvárad in Hungarian), changed considerably after the fire which destroyed an important part of the city center in 1836. After this incident, the buildings (mainly in the city center area) started to be erected in a classicist and later Art Nouveau style, genre adopted by Oradea mainly starting from the 20th century. Already famous in Paris or Vienna, the “coup de fouet” style conquered easily the hearts of those living on the banks of the Crişul Repede River.  

The picture below, shows the new imposing palace changing already the vibe of the square. As most of the Art Nouveau buildings in the city, the ground floor would compete in decorating the shop windows and welcome the customers, while the rest of the floors would host the owner of the building and his (extended) family. The household would live mainly in the apartments facing the main square, street, or the vibrant life of the city, while the servants will often rest in the rooms facing the courtyard. 

Oradea (Nagyvárad) beginning of the 20th century- main square 

 

Source: https://www.facebook.com/289227301095949/photos/a.729337677084907/729337797084895.

    Leaving the river behind, and walking down the main square today, spotted on the left-hand side, arose a freshly renovated building. On both facades, the Moskovits and Sons Palace displays delightful scenes from rural life. In the middle of the concrete jungle, at any time of the day, these paintings seem to come to life and encourage every passer-by to stop and enjoy for a moment the fresh smell of the crop gathering, or the sound of the flute played by the young shepherd.

Moskovits and Sons Palace- detail  

Source : https://ghidlocal.com/oradea/locatii/palatul-moskovits-adolf-si-fiii/ 

    Today, most of these buildings have shops, offices, cafes, or restaurants on the ground floor and the rest of the apartments are occupied by offices or families. 

Moskovits and Sons Palace- Vasile Alecsandri street façade

Source: The Palace of Moskovits Adolf and Sons - Oradea Heritage 

    Designed by the Vago (Weinberger) brothers, Moskovits Adolf and Sons Palace reminds me of the period I lived in Budapest, where for the first time Guttenberg Square, I was very surprised to find the same architectural print on a building which I discovered belonged to the same architects. A spot, a square, a city where I already felt at home...

The Guttenberg House in Budapest 

Source: Budapest legszebb lépcsőházai: Gutenberg-otthon - Egy nap a városban (blog.hu)

To be continued...

by Flavia MATEI