Craftshouse

The surroundings of the statue erected in memory of Vilmos Zsolnay, founder of the Zsolnay factory have an exclusive “architectural microclimate”: the facades of most buildings around are covered with Zsolnay ceramic tiles. The Craftshouse is interesting also because of its green glazed ceramic covering, which is very typical of the age of its construction. The building is in harmony with the historic fabric of the town in its proportions, sizes and use of materials; the circular walkway of the inner courtyard is especially nostalgic. When it came to the details, however, the designer threw this modest pseudo-archaism away, and used simplified decorative elements drawn from folk arts. The meticulous horizontal line of motives over the facade of the building has the impression of a lace cloth on a shelf. The unique shapes can be traced back to the effect of historical characteristics as well as to organic architecture, of which Pécs was a spiritual centre in the seventies.