This tale of adventure begins in 1903, when the land was purchased by a wealthy factory owner, Béla Bedő and his family. Emil Vidor was the architect commissioned to design the house. He had previously studied the architectural trends of the time in various Western European capitals, and had even worked with Miklós Ybl in designing Saint Stephen’s Basilica, the Opera House and a number of other high-profile buildings in Budapest. With such extensive experience under his belt, it is hardly surprising that both the interior and the exterior of the Bedő House display characteristic elements of Art Nouveau, such as natural motifs and asymmetrical forms.
Art Nouveau, down to the smallest detail
The façade of the house, with its special enclosed balconies, is adorned with ceramic flowers made in the famous Hungarian Zsolnay porcelain manufactory. The unique bean-shaped windows open onto the magnificent fountain in the inner courtyard.
It is worth noting that – as was customary at the time – Vidor designed not only the building, but also the furnishings intended for it, as there were no interior designers at the time, but for wealthy families, tasteful furnishings were just as important as they are today. Thus, the architect was the one responsible for ensuring perfect stylistic unity between the buildings, their furnishings, and even the ornate stained-glass windows.
The house included a number of individual apartments, where staff employed by the Bedő company could rent homes adjacent to the owner’s family, as well as a number of offices.