On Sabadshag Ter in Cegled stands one of the most famous masterpieces of architect Odon Lechner — the Postal Savings Bank. Its walls are decorated with golden majolica, and the roof is covered with emerald-colored tiles.
Ornate forms, colorful tiles, glazed brick – all of this has long since become a hallmark of Hungarian Art Nouveau. In essence, however, it is an echo of the times when Budapest was occupied by the Turks for almost 150 years, something that has now become its calling card.
The bank building looks very festive. It is only a pity that from below you cannot see the roof in all its splendor. The architect did a magnificent job – flowers, angel wings, a dragon's tail, and images of bees create a truly fairy-tale impression. By the way, the bee was the symbol of the postal savings bank: people brought their money here just as bees gathered honey. And if you look at the roof of the building from above, you can see little bees crawling toward the honeycombs.
When the architect of the Postal Savings Bank was asked why he made so many decorations for the roof, which almost no one sees, Lechner replied that birds also deserve to admire beauty.
Whether the same interior as before has been preserved inside is unknown. But judging by the old photographs that remain in the archives, inside the building looked no less luxurious than it did outside.
