RAICHLE’S PALACE – Subotica

RAICHLE’S PALACE – Subotica

Architect Ferenc Raichle chose one of the most beautiful locations in Subotica for his future home and architectural office. Designing for himself and his own satisfaction, he rejected all constraints and templates in planning and created a building admired by many. Raichle’s palace is the first thing visitors see when arriving in Subotica by train, instantly captivating them with its form, decoration, and strikingly unusual color scheme.

The monumental entrance of the palace is set back into a part of the façade shaped like a stylized, downward-pointing heart. The wrought iron gate is also heart-shaped. The decoration of the balcony railing, even more lavish than that of the ground floor, features the motif of a stylized heart. Whether executed in ceramics, Murano mosaics, wrought iron, wood carving, or stucco, the heart motif is always presented in a new and original way.

Raichle built his home in 1904 in the Hungarian variant of Art Nouveau (Secession), inspired by the folk art of Transylvania, its brightly painted village houses, carved wooden gates, garden flower motifs, and, of course, the heart motif.

The palace was functional and comfortable for family life. The ground floor housed Ferenc Raichle’s architectural office, while the upper floor included a large dining room with a winter garden, which also served as a ballroom; a men’s smoking salon, designed as a Turkish-style room; a women’s salon; a bedroom; a bathroom; a dressing room; and a children’s room – avant-garde for its time.

Raichle did not enjoy the benefits of his home for long, as he went bankrupt just four years after moving in, and his palace, along with its furnishings, valuable items, and artworks, was sold at auction. Today, it houses the Modern Art Gallery Likovni Susret, and the palace courtyard features a famous café. To the left of the entrance is Raichle’s rental palace, which matches the residential palace in size, decoration, and color scheme, although it is far more modest.

Ferenc Raichle (1869–1960) completed his architectural studies in Budapest and moved to Subotica in 1896. Partially catering to client tastes, his early projects were not executed in the Secession style. Although he was not successful in architectural competitions in Subotica, he designed various public and private buildings: the current City Library building, the Grammar School building, the former Austro-Hungarian Bank building (D. Tucovica 15), and many others. Raichle was a bon vivant, enjoying life and the love of his family. He spent lavishly on travel, art objects, and precious materials for furnishing his palace – one of the reasons he went bankrupt in 1908. Afterward, he left Subotica and spent four years in Szeged before settling in Budapest. He continued working as an architect, recovered from bankruptcy, and enjoyed the pleasures of life and art into old age.

 

Working hours:

Tuesday – Saturday: 10:00 AM – 06:00 PM
Sunday and Monday: Closed

Park Ferenca Rahjla 5, Subotica
+381 (0)24 553 725
www.likovnisusret.rs

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