Postal Savings Bank

Masterpiece of architect Lechner

I was looking forward to see the building from inside. However I was able to go only into the front lobby. Anything beyond that point seems to be off-limits. Enjoyed the facade from Hold utca though.

It is also listed on the map as the Treasury. The building is one of the gems of Hungarian eclectic architecture. Its main façade overlooks Moon Street, here is also the ornate gate. It’s also worth looking up at the top, it’s also a masterpiece. With his back, he relies on the U.S. embassy. Today, the home of the State Treasury, used to be used by the MNB as a child.

The former Post Savings Bank building is located in the heart of Budapest at 4 Hold Street. One of the most beautiful monuments of the capital today is the center of the Hungarian State Treasury. The most outstanding work of Ödön Lechner's life was completed in one and a half years, and the building was handed over in 1901. In spite of the limited financial resources - the cheapest built public house of the era of the headquarters - the architect created a huge and magnificent building, which at the same time was extremely modern in the Art Nouveau style. Lechner said that the ornate façade composition between the narrow streets did not really work. According to a well-known anecdote, to one of his pupils' snarky comment that it was unnecessary to design such a beautifully designed roof structure, the master replied, very characteristicly, that it was made for the birds. In his works, Lechner considered the emphasis on nationality to be his main task. In designing the Postal Savings Bank, the Master focused on the virtues of economy and reliability, which he considered to be crucial to domestic economic growth. These goals are also strongly reflected in the symbolism of the building. For example, majestic bees strive toward stylized ceramic bees as symbols of gathering and diligence on the half-columns. At the tops of towers rising at both ends of the main facade, the winged snakes are symbols of renewal, eternal movement, change, and the two bullheads on the tent-like roof indicate reliability, solidity, and material security. The principle of thrift is also reflected in concise floor plans, for example, the offices overlooking the street could only be approached through one another. The advantage of a simple floor plan was that the building was able to keep up with changing needs with the help of easily movable partitions. The distinctive decorative elements of the Lechner Art Nouveau appear on the exterior and interior of the building, such as various folk art and floral motifs and cast iron shapes. The roof is decorated with beautiful, colorful Zsolnay ceramic ornaments and tiles, the staircase is decorated with cast-iron pillars decorated with metal buttons and wrought-iron candelabra in a unique style. The main architectural novelty of the building was the glass dome covering the cash hall, which allowed light through honeycomb-like glass elements, thus making the cash hall brilliant. The institution also had to represent clients. The lavish design of the entrance, foyer and staircase served this purpose. Following the dissolution of the Postal Savings Bank in the early 1950s, the Hungarian National Bank became the new owner of its headquarters. The Hold Street building served as an outbuilding of the bank's adjacent headquarters. Among other things, the Bank's library and reading room were located there. For ease of access, a bridge was erected on the first floors of the two houses, jokingly dubbed the "Bridge of Sighs" by staff at the financial institution. By the time the monument was in the possession of the National Bank of Hungary, unfortunately, along with several other irreplaceable assets, the vault's glass-brick vault and the vault itself had been destroyed. However, no major structural changes have taken place in the interior of the Hold Street building over time as it was originally built as an office building.

Beautiful building by local Sezesion-style architect, Ödön Lechner. Too bad the Hungarian Treasure Building is currently a must-visit. They let you see the lobby and have some posters.