Budapest Guide
Józsefváros and Ferencváros
The Applied Arts Museum
Opening time: Tues– Sun 10am–6pm
Price: 600Ft
Address: Üllői útca 33-37
Website: www.imm.hu
The Applied Arts Museum (Iparművészeti Múzeum) is the most flamboyant creation of Ödön Lechner, who strove to create a uniquely Hungarian form of architecture emphasizing the Magyars' Ugric roots, but was also influenced by Art Nouveau. Inaugurated by Emperor Franz Josef during the 1896 Millennial celebrations, it has a vast dome tiled in green and yellow and a portico with ceramic Turkic motifs on an egg-yolk-coloured background, from the Zsolnay porcelain factory in Pécs. By contrast, the all-white interior is reminiscent of Mogul architecture: at one time it was thought that the Magyars came from India. The museum has a large collection but no permanent displays, instead mounting small exhibitions of its own material and major shows drawn from other collections.