Although today this inconspicuous building does not dominate the panorama of Budapest, until the end of the 1960s it was a real skyscraper. Built in 1913, the headquarters of the National Social Insurance Institute (OTI) is the work of an outstanding duo of Hungarian Art Nouveau masters, but its design is not lacking in modernism. The building underwent a major extension, which added a tower rising to a height of 73 metres. For decades, the building dominated the neighbourhood, but over time, the poor technical condition of the tower led to its demolition. Today, only the modernist plinth remains of the first skyscraper.
National style
Insurance, which was adopted at the end of the 19th century, was particularly popular among workers. For this reason, many insurance companies began to open their headquarters in the capital, and substantial funds from such enterprises were invested in lavish buildings. Built in what was then a peripheral district, the eighth district, the Budapest District Workers’ Insurance building was designed by the masters of Hungarian national Art Nouveau, Marcell Komor and Jakab Dezső.
The duo of architects is responsible for the most important Art Nouveau buildings of the former Kingdom of Hungary. Buildings such as the town hall in Subotica (now Serbia), the Palace of Culture in Targu Mures (now Romania) and numerous projects in Oradea (now Romania) are just a few of the dozens of outstanding designs by Komor and Dezső. However, despite their vast experience and talent, the project in the eighth district of Budapest proved difficult to implement.
The owner wanted the unusually shaped plot to house a headquarters, apartments and a courtyard, and the building had to be prepared for possible extensions. What is more, the Art Nouveau plan was not fully implemented, and the exquisite floral decorations were replaced with simpler forms. Although thick, gentle arches, columns, occasional Art Nouveau details and the exuberant lines of the door transom typical of this style are noticeable, the façade is dominated by brick and concrete.
The year 1912 marked the end of the short-lived Art Nouveau fashion, which is why the building has early modernist features. Interestingly, its walls are decorated with reliefs depicting scenes of work and quite drastic accidents. After the collapse of Austria-Hungary and the disastrous Treaty of Trianon, the situation in the country was very difficult, so there was no question of expansion.
Niebotyk
It was not until 1927 that the national Országos Társadalombiztosító Intézet (OTI) was established to deal with social insurance. The OTI headquarters were set up in the Komora and Dezső building, and the architects added a north wing in 1931. Komor’s son was also invited to participate in the project, as the extension turned out to be a very extensive undertaking. This was especially true given that a massive 73-metre tower was built in the centre. This modernist structure was clad in rustic brickwork, from which a brick base emerged. The top seven floors of the building consisted of a stepped tower with a decorated crown and clock. In addition, the tower was surrounded by four 8-metre statues referring to insurance. However, this heavy addition proved problematic.
The fan-shaped layout of the building was forced by the strange shape of the corner plot. It was also an excuse to create impressive curved halls and corridors with glass ceilings. In the older part, delicate rounded shapes and small Art Nouveau designs could be seen. The newer halls, on the other hand, were distinguished by a more angular design and more modest details.
The bauxite panic
During World War II, the building suffered minor damage, and after the war, a glowing red star was mounted on the repaired tower to celebrate Stalin’s birthday. Over time, however, the communist star became the least of the building’s problems. It turned out that bauxite concrete, which was modern for the 1930s, loses its strength over time, and buildings begin to crumble.
The problem is that the reinforced concrete structures of many buildings in Budapest used this very concrete. In the 1960s, panic broke out in the city after the collapse of a wall of one of the hotels, and the huge OTI tower seemed to be losing its structural stability. For this reason, the tower was demolished in 1969, and only an 11-storey plinth remained of the 18-storey colossus.
Although the former OTI headquarters was never the tallest building in Hungary, it was definitely the first skyscraper in the country. Today, the building looks like an inconspicuous administrative building, but its history and details intrigue with a story of national style and pioneering skyscrapers.
Source: PestBuda
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