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| 3103 Hungarian Parliament Building in Budapest (3) |
Posted on 09.01.2013, 23.04.2015, 30.06.2017
It has 268 m length, 123 m wide, and 96 m height, being one of the two tallest buildings in Budapest, along with Saint Stephen's Basilica. The number 96 refers to the 1000th anniversary of the country in 1896, when it was inaugurated (even if was completed only in 1904). Its interior includes 10 courtyards, 13 passenger and freight elevators, 27 gates, 29 staircases and 691 rooms. Its architect, Imre Steindl, went blind before its completion.
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| 0373 Hungarian Parliament Building in Budapest (1) |
It's about Országház (which literally means "House of the Country"), the Hungarian Parliament Building, located on Lajos Kossuth Square, on the bank of the Danube. Budapest was united from three cities in 1873 and seven years later the Diet resolved to establish a new, representative Parliament Building, expressing the sovereignty of the nation. An international competition was held, and Imre Steindl emerged as the victor. Construction was started in 1885 and the building was inaugurated on the 1000th anniversary of the country in 1896, and completed in 1904.
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| 0818 Hungarian Parliament Building in Budapest (2) |
Similar to the Palace of Westminster, it was built in the Gothic Revival style, and it has a symmetrical facade (where are displayed statues of Hungarian rulers, Transylvanian leaders and military commanders) and a central dome in Renaissance Revival style. The main façade overlooks the River Danube, but the official main entrance is from the square on the east side of the building. About 100,000 people were involved in construction, during which 40 million bricks, half a million precious stones and 40 kilograms of gold were used.
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| 1535 Hungarian Parliament Building in Budapest by night |
In interior are other statues, including those of Árpád, Stephen I and John Hunyadi. The Holy Crown of Hungary, which is also depicted in the coat of arms of Hungary, is also displayed since 2000 in the hexadecagonal (sixteen-sided) central hall, one of the famous parts of the building. Further features include the stained glass and glass mosaics by Miksa Róth. Some of the best views of the Parliament are from the Danube (take a Danube cruise) or from across the river, especially from Batthyány Square, which is only one stop by subway from Kossuth square on the M2 line.
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