Museum of Applied Arts

About

The Museum of Applied Arts (Hungarian: Iparművészeti Múzeum, pronounced [ˈipɒrmyːveːsɛti ˈmuːzɛum]) is a museum in Budapest, Hungary. It is the third-oldest applied arts museum in the world. It was established by the Hungarian Parliament in 1872 to collect applied artworks, historical and contemporary, from Hungary and around the world.

The museum was built between 1893 and 1896 and was designed by Ödön Lechner and Gyula Pártos in the Hungarian Secession style, a type of Art Nouveau. It has a green roof and the interior is designed using Hindu, Mogul, and Islamic designs. It is considered a masterpiece of the Art Nouveau style in Hungary.

The Hungarian Royal School of Applied Arts moved from its scattered locations around the city into the new building with the Museum in 1896. The following year a joint library shared by the Museum of and the school opened in the same building.

By the 21st century extensive renovations for the building became necessary, and a design competition was announced in 2012 for plans to reconstruct and reconfigure the building. These renovations are ongoing as of 2021.