Location: Füzérradvány, Hungary
Client: Tóth G. Péter curator (Föld-Nyelv Bt.)
Area: 912 m²
Year: 2018
Short history of the building:
Count Ede Károlyi, who was the first to choose Radvány as his permanent residence, had the castle rebuilt in several periods between 1846 and 1877, almost completely demolishing the late Renaissance building that stood there. He asked Miklós Ybl to be the architect, but as an amateur designer he himself had a strong say in shaping the concept. The octagonal tower of the building was more than likely born from his idea, which, according to recollections, was later mocked by family members as a nuisance due to its high, narrow, and rather disproportionate size.
Between 1897 and 1907, Count László Károlyi had the southern wing of the castle rebuilt to the design of Pio Albert. Between 1898 and 1913, he and his wife, Countess Franciska Apponyi, bought complete Renaissance secondary structures – fireplaces, door frames, carvings – mainly in Florence and Paris, which were installed in the castle. Renaissance and late Renaissance furniture and artefacts were also purchased, creating museum-like interiors.
Count István Károlyi, an economist, had the main building converted into a luxury castle hotel based on the plans of György Lehoczky for financial reasons between 1936 and 1938. At that time, the upstairs rooms were divided into suites, and tennis, ski and golf courses, as well as beach and apartment houses were built in the park. The luxury hotel, surrounded by an impressive park, opened its doors to visitors in 1938 and, with a minor interruption, operated by the family until 1948. After the nationalization in 1949, a hospital was set up in the castle, and later a children’s sanatorium operated within its walls.
The historic renovation of the castle was carried out between 2018 and 2021, designed by XYZ Design Labor.
“Castle Noir” – exhibition
Our exhibition, designed in collaboration with curator Péter Tóth G., provides an in-depth look at the ten-year history (1938–1948) of the luxury hotel established in the Károlyi Castle (1938-1948). It evokes the vibrant social life of the time and the excitement of the film productions that took place here. The name of the exhibition is inspired by Film Noir, the genre name of the film Temptation (1941) filmed here. True to the title of the exhibition, the tone of hunting lodges (or the dark forest of Radvány?) dominates here and there in the interior, but in other spaces the carefree leisure activities of the upper class shine through.
As the Károlyi family’s income was significantly reduced due to the annexation of the area after World War I and the subsequent economic crisis, new sources of income were needed, and the idea of a luxury hotel was born. The hotel proved to be a niche investment in the area and was a huge success during its existence thanks to various advertising campaigns. Numerous advertisements appeared about the building, which even made it onto the TV news. The publicity generated by the film productions further attracted crowds seeking relaxation and entertainment. The countless photos taken at that time documented the building quite thoroughly. Selected pieces of these can be viewed in 3D version using stereoscopes from the specific location where the photo was taken.
The room divisions are almost entirely intact from this period, so you can walk through the two floors of the south wing occupied by the exhibition in an almost authentic way, as a guest of the former hotel. The theming also plays on this: characters from the former hotel staff guide us through the exhibition, telling stories, gossiping, and if we listen carefully, we can even help solve an imaginary crime later.
After purchasing tickets from the reception area, we arrive directly at the grand salon and then at the former library. The elegant, spacious rooms have been furnished as close to the original as available, based on existing archive photographs. Thanks to a thorough research effort, many of the original valuable furniture and furnishings have been returned to their former locations. While iconic missing pieces from the former collection have been displayed in the space with schematic replicas that evoke the original character. The new elements of the installation, with their clean, timeless appearance, do not intrude, but rather subtly assist the remaining, rich furnishings of the castle interior; they connect and explain them, and tell stories.
The servants’ staircase takes you upstairs, where you can meet the staff of the castle and the hotel. On the upper floor, first, details of the film shootings of the time come to life, then we find ourselves virtually in the park, where we can walk through the former sports and leisure facilities around the hotel in our imagination. Then we are taken to the various furnished suites, and the richly furnished ladies’ salon concludes the series.
The interconnecting corridor on the upper floor, which is like a museum exhibition space, features the hotel’s contemporary vehicles. At that time drivers brought guests from the train station in cars, and it was also possible to rent them for carriage rides. During the winter, horse-drawn sleigh rides were available. With the help of prepared objects and interactive technology, these experiences come to life in the elongated space. In the museum’s education room, which closes the exhibition, you can build a railway line with stations from LEGO on specially designed play tables. The escape room in the basement awaits mystery lovers with exciting riddles.
The exhibition make you realize how colourful social life was in this remote corner of the country even during the years of World War II, which is a radical contrast to the period that followed. The former luxury hotel dreamed up by the Károlyi family was a fairy-tale place that served its guests with high quality and an incredible range of services.
| installation design: | Csaba Balogh, Ágnes Deigner, Levente Sirokai, Péter Sónicz |
| Soma Pongor, Zsófia Dombrovszky | |
| general design: | Veronika B. Szabó |
| curator: | Péter Tóth G. |
| photography: | Krisztina Ancza |
| archival photos: | Fortepan | Gyöngyi, Fortepan | Krasznai István |
| publications: | 2021 | Építészfórum |