Commemoration apropos of the Gödöllő holiday home complex by Péter Kaffka

Text: Endre Prakfalvi
Photos: Krisztina Nagy, Krisztina Bélavári – Forster Központ

The periodical Hungarian Architecture published a presentation of the two buildings in Gödöllő by architect Péter Kaffka in its issue of June, 1941. Even if only viewed on the photos, there had been no doubt of whatsoever regarding the values and uniqueness of these houses. The early 1980s saw their rediscovery. The weekend house is actually a small structure circular in shape when viewed from the outside which has a ceiling supported by six oak pillars and a single-space conical thatched roof structure with a 7-metre diameter, It is equipped with every convenience but the components are separated from each other. Its unique feature was that it offered the owners the chance to sleep outdoors as it had a special bed structure which could be pushed out as far as 10 metres from the house. The wall movable with the head part provided protection against western winds. As the rails were set with a slight inclination by releasing the brakes the bed rolled into the dark room at the first lights of dawn. Apart from the embedding of this highly creative mobile bed into the wall the place has preserved its original design in an almost intact form. The holiday home burnt down in the autumn of 2014, which meant the destruction of all the unique values it had embodied. Protection could have facilitated the conservation of the structure for a reconstruction project as the ruinous house had not been destroyed to the extent of irreversibility.