Parliament: the Authorized Guide [antikvár]

INTRODUCTION The first volume of the series introducing the construction of the Hungarian Parliament Building - considered one of the most beautiful buildings in the world - presents the attractions along the route of the guided tours of the building. The idea of erecting a building as the permanent venue of the National Assembly first appeared at the Diet of 1830. Renowned architect Mihály Pollack was appointed to design the building during the Diet of 1839-1840, Mn Pollack did finish the plan in 1840, but too late to submit it before the National Assembly closed on 12 May 1840. His design was finally rejected three years later, as the plan shifted towards holding an international tender. Decades would pass until the final resolution, where the design project titled Alkotmány I ("Constitution #1") by Imre SteindL won the second tender in 1882, The Hungarian Parliament Building was erected on the bank of the Danube River, facing the Buda Castle on the other side of the river. The buildings construction and the complete interior design began in 1885 and took no less than 19 years to finish in 1904, The dimensions ofthe Gothic Revival style Hungarian Parliament Building are commanding: it is 265 meters (869 feet) long, 123 meters (404 feet) wide at its greatest width, and the top of its spire sits at a height of 96 meters (315 feet) above the street level. The four-storey building features 10 courtyards, 29 gates, 27 staircases, 19 passenger and freight elevators, and over 200 offices. The various rooms and other spaces are interconnected by a network of seemingly endless corridors and passageways. The Hungarian Parliament Building continues to be a lively bustling venue, primarily for legislation.