A World's Fair in Italy: Turin 1911

Kós, Károly


Name:	Kós, Károly
Gender:	Male
Birth:	1883
Death:	1977
Description:	Though Károly Kós (1883-1977) did not take part in the construction of the Hungarian Pavilion, is a key figure for understanding the Hungarian Nationalism. During his career, he founded with Dénes Györgyi a new architect team called Fiatalok (The Young ones) in 1907. The Young Ones encompassed different elements in their projects: taking inspiration from the New Gothic language of Morris and Ruskin, they explicitly related to the Hungarian Medieval traditions and folk spirit. In addition, Kós was one of the first architects to theorize a Hungarian national style, which found its roots in the Transylvanian Medieval castles as well as in the simple rural dwellings, with their simple lines and material weight. This design was not just a matter of ornamentation, but was characterized by geometric shape and function. Kós followed Lechner’s style but also detached himself from it by abolishing the decoration of the surfaces in favor of what he termed the real essence of National Romanticism: massive and dynamic forms, smooth surfaces with large windows and asymmetrical structures.
Subjects:	Contemporary culture
Structures:	Pavilion of Hungary Hungary is so modern in aesthetic expression and so jealous of its national traditions. The pavilion is the most striking in the International exhibition: austere in its exterior, beautiful and bizarre inside, this building of noble proportions and harmonious coloring ... is reminiscent of India and Persia ... and inspired by antique Hungarian motifs. (Melani, 289) Named “King’s Attila Tent-Palace,” the Hungarian Pavilion was unanimously considered the “Pearl of the Exposition” and praised for its ability to evoke a sense of motion in a perfectly geometric structure. The designers’ aim was to give visual expression to the power of the Hungarian military tradition, underscore its relevance to the present, and celebrate the strong and determinate nature of the Hungarian nation and its people. Made of wood, the Pavilion of Hungary combined the Romantic vision of the Tent-Palace of ancient king Attila with the Modernist inspiration of its stern cubic blocks. Harmoniously fused in the pavilion, Romantic echoes and Modernist traits are the defining elements of Hungarian functionalism. The building is a mirror of the lively social and cultural situation of the Hungarian nation, and particularly Budapest, during the first decade of the twentieth century. The Pavilion of Hungary was located on the left bank of the river Po, next to the Main entrance on Corso Vittorio Emanuele II and the Orto Botanico (botanical gardens). It was designed by Hungarian architects Emil Tőry, Móric (Maurice) Pogány, and Dénes Györgyi. An eclectic building, combining Art Nouveau elements with the features of National Romanticism, it covered 6000 square meters, and was considered "the pearl of the exposition." Le Eposizioni di Roma e di Torino nel 1911 descritte ed illustrate (volume 4, January 1911, 31) described the building under construction as "una costruzione eminentemente caratteristica, con decorazioni cromatiche in maiolica" (a remarkably characteristic building with colorful maiolica decorations"). The Mostra Forestale Ungherese was located next to the Pavilion. Interpretive Essays National Romanticism and the Hungarian Pavilion The Hungarian Pavilion: Exterior The Hungarian Pavilion: Interior
Photographs:	Kós, Károly_ritratto \| Kós, Károly_portrait