The end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century was a turning point in architecture due to technological innovations that led to the creation of new building materials. The general denomination of the architectural style that manifested itself in this period is 1900”™s Style. Architects were seeking appropriate solutions to use concrete, metal and glass for new architectural structures. However, the 1900”™s style is not at all unitary. In most cases, the general tendency was to create modern national trends by using the country's own traditions and folk arts. The various names this trend was given in different countries are also proof of major differences in its manifestations:  „Art Nouveau”, „Style Guimard”, „Style Métro”  in France; „Jungenstil” or „Sezession” in Germany; „Hoffmanstil” or „Secession” in the Austro-Hungarian Empire; „Modern Style” in England; „Stile florale” in Italy and „Modernismo” in Spain.

The 1900”™s style in Transylvania manifested itself in two stages. The first stage was characterized by curved and floral motifs, similar to the Lechner style of Budapest (e.g. the “Black Eagle” building of Oradea). The second stage is characterized by geometrical shapes, bi-dimensionality and austerity, separating itself from the Lechner style and characterized by the use of local traditional elements such as old architecture and decorative patterns of the Hungarian folklore. This new stage is evident in the building complex that includes the Prfecture building and the Palace of Culture of Tîrgu-Mureș. The Palace of Culture, built between 1911 and 1913, is the result of a general movement initiated by the authorities of Budapest to establish cultural centers in the main Transylvanian towns, as well as of the actions of local authorities led by mayor Bernády György, who played an important role in the history of Tîrgu-Mureș thanks to his remarkable  initiatives. At the same time, the city”™s cultural life in the early 20th century was very intense, therefore the need for a building that would host a music school, a show hall, art galleries and a library was strongly felt. Building works started in the spring of 1911 based on the plans of architects Komor Marcel and Jakob Dezsö. They contributed to the establishment of the secessionist architecture school in Transylvania by their works in Deva, Tîrgu-Mureș and Oradea.

The edifice, placed at the intersection of Trandafirilor Square and George Enescu street is a monumental one. The plan is an irregular rectangle, with protuberances on the sides and at the extremities. The building has five floors: a tall ground floor, a mezanine and three floors diferentiated by the use of various construction materials (rustic embossement of large stones for the ground floor, rugged plaster of various colors for the next stories and green-grey tiles for the upper extremity). The facades are characterized by bi-dimensionality and by a liniar-rectangular style, with only a few curvilinear elements: the six bow-windows covered by semi-caps above the main portal and the circular balconies on the edges. The main entrance is in the middle of the facade on Enescu street and is made up of four massive doors, protected by an architecural element made of glass and with an iron framing. This element, as well as the doors decorated with iron floral motifs are typical for the 1900s style. The exterior is richly decorated, with colored mosaic panels, with relieved scenes and busts, and decorated posts etc. The most impressive composition is the mosaic on the main façade, an allegorical scene inspired by the Hungarian folklore. The cardboards were made by Nagy Sándor, an important Hungarian artist, who founded with Körösföy Kriesch Aladár  the School of Gödölo. The art is characterized by bi-dimensionality and vertical rhythmicalness. Most of the mosaics and stained glass windows were authored by Róth Miksa, particularly those on the side facing Trandafirilor Square.

Kallos Ede is the author of the strongly relieved busts which are exceptions to the mainly bi-dimensional appearance of the façade.

The windows are flanked by small posts decorated with folk motifs. The picturesque appearance of the exterior is enhanced by the brightly colored, fish-scale tiled roof. The structure of the interior is adapted to the building”™s role as palace of arts and sciences. The ground floor is made up of a series of rooms that can be accessed directly from the street. The central part is occupied by the show house, the elevation of which includes all the floors. It holds an organ built in 1913 by the Rieger company of Jägendorf . The large corridor that connects the entrance area with the show hall is covered by six calottes on pendants supported by two free posts and other engaged posts that delimit the cloakroom area. The two lateral wings of the corridor lead to the staircase toward the first floor, and to a passageway toward another part of the building. That contains the rooms and storehouses of the County Library.

On the first floor is the Hall of Mirrors where chamber music concerts and various reunions take place. The small show house and the rooms of the Museum of History are on the second floor, whereas the third floor hosts the Art Museum in a space where the art school led by painter Aurel Ciupe had functioned between the two world wars. The interior spaces are richly, almost excessively decorated, but refined and with a tendency to preciousness. There is a combination of neo-Hungarian style that uses elements of local culture, oriental and international art-nouveau. The walls of the hall and stairwell are covered by decorative frescos with vegetal and floral motifs. The two main panels made by painter Körösföy K. Aladar are inspired by Hungarian legends and depict characters dressed in Seklar folk costumes. The ornamental stained glass is another element representative of secessionist architecture that can be found at the Palace of Culture. The windows of the Hall of Mirrors are decorated with true masterpieces of the kind. Four of these are the common work of Nagy Sándor and Róth Miksa, whereas the others were done by Thoroczkai Wigand Ede and Muhits Sandor. Róth Miksa is also the author of the stained glass representing various personalities that can be seen on the windows of the stairwell, as well as of the more ample compositions in the small concert hall.

The concept of total art work applied during this period to public buildings and even private houses is obvious especially in the Hall of Mirrors where even the furniture is a work of art in itself: tulip-shaped tables and chairs.

Bibliography:

Paul Constantin, Arta 1900 în România, București, Ed. Meridiane, 1972, pp. 113-120, 183-191.

Keresztes Gyula, Marosvásárhely szecessziós épületei, Marosvásárhely , Difprescar, 2000, pp. 73-74.

Constantin Prut, Dicționar de artă modernă, București, Ed. Albatros, 1982, p. 122.

Traian Dușa, Palatul culturii din Tîrgu-Mureș, București, Ed. Meridiane, 1970, pp. 16-30.