Ignác Alpár

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Ignác Alpár (January 17, 1855, Pest — April 27, 1928, Zürich) was a Hungarian architect.

[edit] Career

Alpár began his career as a stonemason, then worked under architect Alajos Hauszmann. After completing formal studies in Berlin, he returned to Budapest to work under Imre Steindl and Hauszmann again. He began independent practice in 1890, working mainly on public projects in a historicist, eclectic style. The most well known of these is the so-called Vajdahunyad castle built for the millenary celebrations in 1896, which incorporated architectural styles practised in Hungary from the Middle Ages to the Baroque period.

[edit] Other buildings

- County halls: Sighişoara, Cluj, Deva, Nyíregyháza, etc.

- Colleges: eg. Eotvos College

- Churches: Sighişoara Reformed Church, Braşov Reformed Church (demolished 1964)

- Baths: Băile Herculane

- Theatres: Košice

- Banks: Hungarian National Bank, Budapest (1902-05); former Stock Exchange (1902-05)

[edit] Legacy

- In 1958 the Ignác Alpár memorial prize was established by the Society of Architects, which is awarded annually for significant achievements in building.

- There is a statue of Alpár in front of the Vajdahunyad castle by Ede Telcs. He is depicted wearing the robes of a master architect from the Middle Ages.

Translated from Hungarian Wikipedia.