Women’s Lido

Name of the building Women’s Lido
Current name Women’s spa
Town, location Heroes’ Park, Subotica-Palić
GPS coordinates N 46° 06′ 51.82″, E 19° 45′ 23.44
Date of construction The blueprint was ready in 1908, but the construction started only in March 1909, and finished on 10 February 1912.
Stylistical characteristics The Hungarian version of the Art Nouveau
Architects

Builder

Contractor

Marcell Komor (18681944) and Dezső Jakab (18641932)

The Palić building complex was commissioned by the town.

Constructed by Sándor Molcer and János Braucsler, entrepreneurs.

Monument classification It is ranked as a particularly protected monument in the historic centre of Palić, with significant local historic importance.
History of the building

Changes

On the site where it was constructed in 1885, a women’s lido had already existed. At the beginning of the 20th century, during the great constructions, this old building was pulled down. The shore was also reshaped, a small peninsula was formed in order for the building to gain an oval shape. The whole spa was built on posts with a wooden structure, which was the authentic building material of the ‘Group of the Young’ who were inspired by Transylvanian motifs. There are dressing facilities on both sides of the main entrance that can be reached from a veranda, from where swimmers can go straight into the water. The central block has an upper floor as well, where there are also changing rooms. The building has kept its original function, that is, its spa function, even nowadays, but has been extended with a catering facility as well.

In the 1970s, the building started subsiding, so when the lake was dried up, the first large scale reconstruction of the building also took place: the wooden posts were replaced by concrete ones, but unfortunately, because of the harmful effect of ice, the building started subsiding again. In 1985, this spectacular building went under its second renovation. In the course of the reconstruction, new water utilities (water and sewage pipes) as well as electric wires were installed. The most recent renovation started in 2011, which is still going on.

Description and qualities of the building

This lazily outstretched building on the shore of Lake Palić was constructed primarily for women of the period for bathing. Its graceful and curved mass is closed towards the shore but open towards the lake, hiding swimmers from promenaders’ prying eyes. Since it is situated above the water, the building from the centre can only be approached through a bridge. The wooden built Women’s Spa hides the bathers from the promenaders’ curious eyes with its wing closed up with dressing rooms.

Its renovation was finished in the summer 2013, and it reopened for the public, though swimming in the lake has not been allowed so far.

References

Duránci,Béla, A Vajdasági épitészeti szecesszió, Újvidék 1983, 72-78.

Martinović Cvijin,Kata, Subotički opus Komora i Jakaba,Subotica 1988,61,62.

Prcić Vujnović Gordana, Velika izgradnja Palića 1902-1912. Rukovet br 4-5-6/1998, Subotica, 1998, 46-57.

Secesija u Subotici – Szecesszió Szabadkán (urednik: Krstić, Boško) Subotica – Budapest, 2002, 65-67.

Map of Palić >>