Szígyártó House, 2/B Lechner Square

Architect

Builders

Pál Kótay

László Raffay and Pál Kótay, teachers at the State College of Technology.

Changes

The Raffay House had functioned as a residential real estate until 1990, then in 1992, the Sík Sándor Piarist Student Hostel of Residence was established in it for 24 students, based on Tamás László’s plans. The Szígyártó House is still a dwelling house. They are unique examples of the Art Nouveau architectural decoration, applying the ceramic ornaments with a good taste and moderately.

The dwelling house of two upper vocational school teachers on Lechner Square exemplifies excellently that the novel spirit of the Art Nouveau inspiringly influenced the attitude of the contemporary middle class. Though the bead-moulding formed from glazed ceramics runs across the whole length of the facade under the cornice on the inner positioned Raffay House, harmony, good sense of proportion and moderate ornamentation dominate the spectacle. The corner Szígyártó House seems to be more magnificent and more splendidly ornamented. The building owes its unique look to the creative application of the ornamental attributes of brick facings and the peacock feather patterned ceramic adornments, shining in striking colours and crowning the windows. Both houses demonstrate that lasting value can be created provided that good taste is coupled with high standard craftsmanship and masterly masonry skills representing the atmosphere of the period.

Nagy Zoltán, A szecessziós építészet Szegeden, Szeged története,3/1, Szeged, 1991,

Csongrád megye építészeti emlékei, Szeged, 2000, O. Csegezi Mónika szócikke

Bakonyi Tibor:,A századforduló építészete Szegeden, Műemlékvédelem, 1980. 3. sz.

Bagyinszki Zoltán – Gerle János, Alföldi szecesszió, /Art Nouveau in the Alföld Debrecen, 2008.