PRECAST TERRAZZO FLOORING
Basch House 1887
WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHY: BEATRIX TORMA
Titus Mačković architect, chief architect of the city of Subotica, brick manufacturer and publisher, returned to his hometown after studying in Buda, Zurich, Aachen and Vienna, where he opened his engineering office in 1874. One of the private urban villas he designed is a historic building known as the Basch House, named after the last family to own it.
BASCH HOUSE 1887
PRECAST TERRAZZO TILE
Titus Mačković, known for his innovative solutions, designed numerous apartment buildings, family villas, stables, barracks, chapels and slaughterhouses in and around Subotica. Over 400 of his designs are kept in the Historical Archives of Subotica, most of which have been realized. Responding to the construction boom at the turn of the century, Mačković established a brick factory in nearby Zenta, where he also built his own tower-shaped home. Just before the war, he designed Art Nouveau buildings that bore the early signs of emerging modernism. It was an unspoken rule among Hungarian families in the southern region to have their homes designed in the spirit of Hungarian Art Nouveau, while Serbian and Croatian families preferred the style of Viennese Secession.
Known as the Basch House after the noble family who owned it, the villa, reminiscent of a Renaissance summer house, was designed in an eclectic style by Mačković for the town's then chief physician in 1887.
The building, featuring a central hall, was unique in Subotica's architecture for its first-ever glazed skylight. The villa survived historical and social changes in a highly deteriorated state and was later purchased by the DG Construction Company of Subotica. Its renovation was carried out under the supervision of the Intermunicipal Institute for the Protection of Historical Monuments of Subotica.
Ornamental and Geometric Terrazzo
The foundation of the building, along with its original materials and polystyrene ornaments, were almost entirely destroyed. During the excavation and restoration, the owner continuously redesigned parts of the project. Unfortunately, it was not possible to restore or reconstruct the building's original monolithic terrazzo flooring.
Iamart, in collaboration with the owner, the Intermunicipal Institute for the Protection of Historical Monuments of Subotica and the architects, collectively decided to produce three different terrazzo tile designs for the project. These designs, classic in their patterns, were chosen to align with the building's stylistic elements. The colours, however, were tailored to meet the demands of contemporary interior design. The result was a series of small-element terrazzo tiles featuring ornamental and geometric patterns.
Designer: LIMA Design Ltd. - visual design, DG Company - construction design
András Bottka, senior designer (LIMA), Ana Bukvić, architect (DG).
Monument Conservation Supervision:
Intermunicipal Institute for the Protection of Monuments Subotica
Adél Grbic-Ludasi, architect - conservator
Contractor: DG Company
