Gutenberg-otthon, Art Nouveau house in Budapest, Hungary.
Gutenberg-otthon is a four-storey Secession apartment block on the west side of Gutenberg tér, built 1906–1907 to plans by László and József Vágó. Its pale, symmetrical facade curves up to a shaped gable bearing the raised inscription "GUTENBERG-OTTHON"; rows of rectangular windows sit in shallow curved bays, majolica ornaments surround the large windows, and small dormers pierce the dark sloping roof.
The relief society of Hungarian printers and typefounders, some six thousand members, decided in April 1905 to build an association house and bought the plot at today's Gutenberg tér 4. The plans by László and József Vágó won the competition; demolition began on 3 May 1906, and strikes delayed completion by five months. The house was inaugurated on 13 October 1907, costing 939,000 korona. It was nationalised in 1948.
The name Gutenberg-otthon honours Johannes Gutenberg and recalls the building's origin: the Aid Society of Hungarian Printers and Typefounders, some six thousand members, commissioned it in 1905. Its ceremonial hall hosted lectures, and a library served the trade. Residents have included architect Lechner Ödön, designer József Vágó, aesthete Négyesy László and writer Mándy Iván.
The building stands on the west side of Gutenberg tér in the Palotanegyed of the 8th district, reachable from Rákóczi tér station on tram lines 4 and 6. Look up at the majolica ornaments around the large windows and the raised "GUTENBERG-OTTHON" lettering across the curved central section.
The building's name is carved across the facade in raised letters as "GUTENBERG-OTTHON", a detail easy to miss from street level. The association that commissioned it counted some six thousand printmakers and typefounders as members, and the 1907 construction cost reached 939,000 kronas. The original 38 flats were split after nationalisation in 1948, doubling the number of residents.
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