The imposing interior of the Hungarian Treasury, retaining its old function, was revived last year to await customers buying government securities in the most modern conditions – explained Csaba Bugár, President of the Hungarian Treasury.
The Treasury Room has been renovated in the building located at 4 Hold Street in Budapest’s Fifth District, which once served as the home of the Hungarian Royal Post Savings Bank. The Art Nouveau-style building, which was handed over in 1901 and was built based on the designs of Ödön Lechner and Sándor Baumgarten, is one of Budapest’s outstanding monuments, which has been shining as a hidden gem of the capital for more than a century.
The designer of the building is Ödön Lechner, one of the greatest figures of Hungarian Art Nouveau architecture, whose works define the image of Budapest in many ways. The specialty of the building on Hold street is that it was completed in just one and a half years and was considered the cheapest public building of its time. However, this quick and economical construction did not come at the expense of artistic value; Thanks to Lechner’s dedication and artistic vision, the building of the Royal Hungarian Postal Savings Bank became one of the most beautiful examples of Hungarian Art Nouveau.
Lechner paid special attention to the facade and roof structure of the building, which he decorated with the eosin-glazed ceramics of Vilmos Zsolnay. Although Lechner lamented that the ornate facade, wedged between the narrow streets, did not take full effect, in his famous reply – which was prompted by a sarcastic comment from one of his students – he said that he had designed the richly elaborate roof structure for the sake of the birds. This answer reflects not only the master’s humor, but also his commitment to architectural beauty.
“The patina building, which in the meantime already serves as the seat of the Hungarian State Treasury, handed over the Treasury Room to the customers in its old function. During the comprehensive reconstruction works that started three years ago, the goal was to make the interior a modern, comfortable and 21st-century customer space,” emphasized the President of the Treasury.
The Treasury Room, which has been renovated while preserving its original beauty, operates as a new government securities distribution and institutional account management customer service, and awaits customers with state-of-the-art services. In the modernized space, there is also a children’s corner and a comfortable waiting area, so that customers can manage their finances in a pleasant environment.
“According to our strategy, the renovation of the Pénztárterem in Hold Street goes beyond itself. In addition to providing customers with 21st-century quality service, we have set ourselves the goal of strengthening the distribution of government securities and making the Hungarian State Treasury a well-known, modern financial brand. A representative customer space created in the building on Hold street, preserving historical values, is a serious step forward,” added Csaba Bugár.