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Parliament House
Országház
Budapest Parliament is the third largest In Europe and is the seat of the National Assembly of Hungary, one of Europe's oldest legislative buildings, a notable landmark of Hungary and a popular tourist destination of Budapest.
As the millennial celebrations of 1896 approached, the nation's demand for representation channelled the conception of a unique Parliament building. The Palace of Westminster in part inspired the design, but a well-known Hungarian architect, Imre Steindl, laid out the plans in their entirety. The building stretches 268 meters in its length, along the Danube embankment.
The 19th century Parliament Building is situated at Pest's riverbank. The magnificent structure is a symbol of Hungary's independence.
After the Austro-Hungarian Compromise in 1867, in which a dual monarchy was created, Hungary received more independence and the country wrote its own constitution. It also initiated the development of a parliament building. A competition for this project, officially started by the emperor Franz Joseph and prime minister Kálmán Tisza. The design of Imre Steindl, in a neo-gothic style inspired by the Houses of Parliament in London was chosen.
Visits to Parliament, possible only if accompanied by a guide, are depending on the duties of the organs of government which operate in the building. Within the palace, which include fully ten courtyards, there are 691 halls, many of which are decorated by paintings (those of the Hungarian kings in the luxurious cupola-shaped hall on the first floor are interesting, as well as the splendid Conquest by Mihaly Munkacsy in the room named after him), frescoes, tapestries, (an entire hall is decorated by rare Gobelin tapestries) and statues, and are richly embellished by refined furnishings.
Construction and design
The Parliament or Országház was built between 1885 and 1902, at the time the largest parliamentary building in the world. The building, as above said, has a length of 268 meters and is 118 meters wide. The parliament house contains more than 20 km staircase. The elegant dome has a height of 69 meters.
The main style of the building is Neo-gothic with renaissance influences, but the base ground plan is Baroque. A strong Byzantine influence is noticeable in the interior of the building, especially in the marvelously decorated staircase hall.
The monumental Parliament gives a good counterweight to the Buda Castle on the opposite bank of the river Danube.
source: www.flickr.com , www.virtualtourist.com and www.alexgraphics.hu
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