The most spectacular Secession-style commercial building in Transylvania, the Black Eagle Palace in Oradea, built at the beginning of the 20th century
The most spectacular Secession-style commercial building in Transylvania, the Black Eagle Palace in Oradea, built at the beginning of the 20th century, opened to visitors on Saturday on the occasion of the European Heritage Days (September 13 – 14), with over 200 people taking the opportunity of a tour guided by Oradea Heritage documentarist, museographer and curator Zuh Deodath.
The tour began in the middle of the building complex, in the center of the glass passage, under the most frequently photographed dome, along with the nearby stained glass window representing the famous black eagle. A second identical stained glass window can be found on the facade in Unirii Square, at the entrance to the passage.
The explanations provided by Zuh Deodath outlined the history of the buildings in this architectural complex, located in the heart of the city, built with the initial purpose of serving as an entertainment and shopping center at the beginning of the 20th century, because Oradea was and remained a commercial city.
„I talked about the significance of those architectural layouts enclosed in mortar and brick, and the true story of the brick factory the two entrepreneur lawyers, Ede Kurlander and Emil Adorjan – who took over and continued the project – were compelled to set up because the suppliers doubled the prices in search for profit. With a factory of their own, the two entrepreneurs managed to provide the four million bricks needed,” the guide told AGERPRES.
The project of the palace was initiated in 1903, when the city hall decided to launch a design competition for the reconstruction of the local Eagle Hotel. Of the 13 submitted projects, that of architects Dezso Jakab and Marcell Komor, two of the most important representatives of the Hungarian Secession movement – was declared winner, Agerpres informs.
Given the high costs of over 600,000 crowns, the City Hall sold the existing buildings, but made the land available to those who wanted to continue the work. These were two lawyers, entrepreneurs and journalists, Dr. Ede Kurlander and Dr. Emil Adorjan, who also took over the project. In March 1907, builder Ferenc Sztarill was chosen as the project’s contractor, and on April 6, 1907 the construction of the Black Eagle Complex began.
The construction was not without obstacles. After establishing a joint-stock company and their own brick factory, when banks raised interest rates and access to loans became difficult, Ede Kurlander and Emil Adorjan opened their own bank, the Hungarian Bank, known in the interwar period as the Industrial Bank.
The construction was completed in December 1908, and the festive opening took place in 1909.
The palace building is located on the corner, on the eastern side of the central square, with one facade on Independentetei Street and the other towards Union Square, with a high ground floor and four floors. It consists of two bodies united by a glass-covered passage with access to three streets: Independentei, Union Square and Vasile Alecsandri. The passage, covered with glass and stained glass, was built after the model of the famous Vittorio Emanuele Gallery in Milan.
„The palace was built practically for shopping and entertainment. With a hotel, apartments for rent, with a gallery of shops on the ground floor along the glazed passage. But its basic purpose was as a shopping center. In terms of volume, it is probably the largest Secession-era building in the entire Romania, but for cultural purposes, the Palace of Culture in Tg. Mures, designed by the same two architects Komor and Jakab, is more representative,” stated museographer Zuh Deodath.
Visitors were able to see the inside of the two revue theater and dance performance halls, which were later transformed into cinema halls – the Oradea and the Liberty hall – which were functional until around 2010.
In conclusion, said Zuh Deodath, the Black Eagle Palace is „the most grandiose building from the Secession era in Transylvania, one highly typical of that time”.
„It is actually the largest shopping center that we know of from the former Austro-Hungary and from nowadays Transylvania. It is the largest and most spectacular Secession commercial building, and it must be preserved and kept alive at all costs, at its true value,” the guide concluded.
Secession is the Viennese expression of the Art Nouveau movement, having the same foundations: the renunciation of academism, the blend of major and minor arts, inspiration from nature, but with local particularities: geometrization, subdued elegance and the integration of art with architecture and everyday design.
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