Hotel Clark Budapest

During the 19th century Pest-Buda became an exciting cosmopolitan city thanks to many large-scale developments and constructions.

The impressive stone bridge, named 50 years later as the Széchenyi Chain Bridge, was approved in 1849, 8 years later, in 1857, followed by the 350-meter-long Castle Hill tunnel, which connected the Buda side of the Chain Bridge to the town of Krisztina.

In 1860, the cornerstone of the Buda Savings Bank was laid in the popular and frequented square, which was then called the “Buda Chain Bridge Square”. The lavish, two-storey, Neo-Renaissance headquarters and the tenement house built of carved ash stone were designed by the star architect of this age, Miklós Ybl.

A red marble staircase led from the Tuscan-style foyer, which was handed over in 1862. The inner courtyard was adorned on all three levels by a bright and slender row of colonnades reminiscent of the palaces of the cinquecento of Genoa.

The elegant Lánchíd Café opened in 1864 on the east side of the building, facing Lánchíd Square, which from the beginning became a popular meeting place for local dignitaries, castle officials, military officers, Buda citizens and intellectuals.

In the early 1930s, the editorial staff of the literary magazine “West” and the legendary artists of the era often met here. (Mihály Babits, Zsigmond Móricz, Milán Füst, Dezső Kosztolányi, Frigyes Karinthy, Gyula Krúdy, etc.).

During the battles of the Second World War, the building of the Buda Savings Bank was destroyed, which was not rebuilt afterwards. Under the ground-floor arcade of the partially preserved north wing, Budapest’s very first ruin pub, the Chain Bridge Espresso, operated until 1990, when it was finally demolished.

ADAM CLARK – THE FATHER OF THE SQUARE
Hungary’s first Neo-Renaissance square, Chain Bridge Square, was named after Adam Clark in 1912, in honor of the Scottish engineer who played a key role in the construction of Chain Bridge. The young professional who came to Hungary in 1834 won great recognition among the Hungarian public and the profession alike.

After the commissioning of the “Otter” machine ordered from abroad to regulate the Danube, he was invited to supervise the construction of the Széchenyi Chain Bridge, designed by the English engineer William Tierney Clark, which later became a symbol of the city.

Count Széchényi also entrusted him with the management of the construction of the Tunnel, which was handed over in 1875. Thanks to the Scottish engineer, who was connected to Hungary in several respects, the Chain Bridge was saved during the War of Independence in ’48.

Clark flooded parts of the structure with water, rendering the pumps unusable, so gunpowder barrels could only be blown up on the surface of the bridge, causing minor damage to the metal structure.

The importance of Clark Ádám Square is indicated by the fact that after the War of Independence in 1848 -49, the “0” milestone was moved here from the Buda Castle, symbolizing the starting point of all the main roads originating from Budapest. The original artwork was destroyed, but over time, different sculptural forms marked the country’s center point.

SANCTUARY OF THE CHAIN BRIDGE
Adam Clark Square is both the heart of Hungary and the entrance to the Buda Castle. The square, part of the World Heritage, was named after Adam Clark of Scotland, who oversaw the construction of the landmarks connecting the square, the Chain Bridge and the Castle Tunnel. According to a legend, the Castle Tunnel was built as a refuge for the Chain Bridge, where they could be drawn in during the rain.

THE LIONS WITHOUT TONGUES
The four stone lions created by sculptor János Marschalkó carry their own legend with them. During their unveiling in 1852, the ceremony was interrupted by a cobbler who cried out: “The lions have no tongues!” Legend has it that the sculptor then jumped off the bridge the same night, ashamed.

In reality, he went to live a long time after the accident, and in fact the lions do have their tongues, they are just not visible from the pavement. This is how the sculptor responded to accusations in a newspaper article: “I wish that your wife had a tongue as large as the lion!”

CULTURE CRIB
Adam Clark Square was the city’s first completely Neo-Renaissance space, decorated by two buildings designed by Miklós Ybl, the famous Hungarian architect. The Chain Bridge Palace, built in 1869, still stands today.

The less fortunate center of the Buda Savings Bank, completed in 1862, was demolished during the construction of the roundabout after the Second World War, leaving only four stone columns.

Before it was demolished, the editorial office of the West & the defining journal of 20th century Hungarian literature-, gathered in the legendary Lánchid Café at the bottom of the building. The Lánchid Café continued to operate in a tiny, surviving part of the building until the 1990s.

TRADITION MEETS MODERNITY
It took almost 70 years for Hotel Clark to fill the fan-shaped gap left by the demolished Buda Savings Bank. The 150-year-old pillars rescued from the Buda Savings Bank were placed in a new location, inside the courtyard of the new building. The hotel’s main entrance also features iconic lion statues of the Chain Bridge, framed by a sunny, glorious lion mane.

The design of Hotel Clark follows the curved shape of the land where it stands, offering a unique view of the picturesque Royal Palace, the Chain Bridge and the Danube – while its grandiose public spaces evoke the world of historic large hotels, creating a balance between classic values ​​and modern design.

EVERY ROAD LEADS TO ADAM CLARK SQUARE
Following in Adam Clark’s footsteps, Anthony Gall, the Australian architect of Hotel Clark, also fell in love with Hungary and married a Hungarian woman. Gall settled down and started a family in Budapest, and left his mark on the unparalleled beauty of Buda panorama with his work.

The hotel is a rightful addition to its world heritage surroundings; adjacent to the “Zero” kilometer stone, it is the proud herald of a legend taken for granted since the era of István Széchenyi: “Every road leads to Adam Clark Square”.

Rooms: 86

Price: from 143 EUR per night

Source: www.hotelclarkbudapest.hu