Eastern and Central Europe (Eyewitness Travel Guides)

Parliament 7

Parlamentnek

The largest building in the
country, Hungary’s Parliament has
become a symbol of Budapest. A
compe tition, held to choose its
design, was won by Hungarian
archi tect Imre Steindl, who
based his plans on the
Houses of Parlia ment in
London, built by Charles
Barry in the mid-19th cen-
tury. Steindl’s Neo-Gothic master piece,
con structed between 1885 and 1904, is
96 m (315 ft) high and has 691 rooms.

348 CENTRAL EASTERN EUROPE

Lateral View

The magnificent dome marks the central

point of the Parliament building. Although

the façade is elaborately Neo-Gothic, the

ground plan follows Baroque conventions.

. Domed Hall
Adorning the massive pillars
that support Parliament’s
central dome are figures of
some of Hungary’s rulers.

Lobbies

Magnificent corridors, adorned with

stained-glass windows, are the venue

for many political discussions.

Gables

Almost every corner of the Parliament

building features gables with pinnacles

based on Gothic sculptures.

. Deputy
Council Chamber
Formerly the lower
house, this is where the
National Assembly
now convenes. Pain-
tings by Hungarian
artist Zsigmond Vajda
(1860–1931) hang
on either side of the
Speaker’s lectern.

Danube

façade

South Wing

One of the pair
of lions at the
main entrance

For hotels and restaurants in this area see pp390–93 and pp394–7