The Architect
The Architect
Albert Kálmán Kőrössy (1869-1955)
Albert Kálmán Kőrössy, originally named Albert Neumann, was born on 18th June 1869 in Szeged. His mother was Júlia Heiduschka, and his father, Miksa Neumann, served as vice president of the Budapest Stock Exchange at the time.
He began his architectural studies at the Royal Joseph University in Budapest, by which point he had already changed his name to Albert Kőrösi (later modified to Kőrössy, with the aristocratic title “királyhalmi” added). After studying at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, he continued his education in Berlin before moving to Munich, where he earned his architectural degree under the tutelage of the renowned Neo-Baroque architect Friedrich von Thiersch.
At the beginning of his career
Albert Kőrössy joined the office of Alajos Hauszmann, becoming part of the team that designed the New York Palace. He also designed several notable buildings, including the Ferenc Kölcsey Grammar School (26 Munkácsy Mihály Street), the Sonnenberg House (23 Munkácsy Mihály Street), the Walko House (3 Aulich Street), and the Dayka Villa (26 Benczúr Street).
In collaboration with Artúr Sebestyén, Kőrössy worked on the design of the Hungarian Royal Class Lottery Corporation’s palace, built in 1899 on what is now Március 15 Square. The building exhibits the massing style of his former mentor, Alajos Hauszmann, while its decorative elements show early signs of Jugendstil. The building’s impressive roof, once an apartment complex, resembles an ornate crown with the goddess of fortune, Fortuna, depicted on the gable. Some decorative elements, such as the keyhole-shaped windows and plant motifs, served as immediate precursors to the design of the Kőrössy Villa, which was constructed around the same time. Other similarities can be found in the green man motifs and peacocks adorning the facade of Kőrössy’s own home.
In 1902, Kőrössy married Dóra Paula Román (formerly Rosenberg), the daughter of Károly Rosenberg, an official at the Alföld-Fiume Railways company. Part of Paula’s family resided in Vienna, and her uncle, Paul, opened an art dealership in Paris, where he became a personal friend and gallerist to Pablo Picasso. The couple had two daughters: Lili Julianna (born in 1902) and Dóra Mária (nicknamed Dódi, born in 1904). In 1903, the family received the aristocratic title ‘királyhalmi’. By this time, Albert had already adopted the name ‘Kőrösi’, which he officially changed to ‘Kőrössy’ on 4th May 1911.
After the end of the First World War, Kőrössy stopped designing buildings. By then he had become a shareholder and board member in several financial institutions and construction companies. As a result, by 1917, he was the third-highest taxpayer in Budapest, surpassing Manfréd Weisz, Emil Gerbeaud, and Lajos Deutsch Hatvany in this regard. As a ‘virilist’ (a title granted to the highest tax-paying citizens, entitling them to certain privileges), he became a member of the Jurisdictional Committee. He also made generous donations to a number of institutions, including the Grammar School of the poor students of Tisztviselőtelep, where he had designed the building.
Written by: Eszter Baldavári, Art historian