TERRAZZO TILE COVERING
Palic, the Art Nouveau Spa Town
WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHY: BEATRIX TORMA
Palic, in the northern part of Vojvodina, owes its peaceful, monarchy-era atmosphere to its architectural heritage, undoubtedly bearing the characteristics of Hungarian Art Nouveau. The town's reopened railway station was built in 1887, providing all the necessary conditions for the spa town's prosperity.
PALIC RAILWAY STATION
TERRAZZO TILE COVERING
The turn-of-the-century masterpieces of Palic and Subotica are the work of the architect duo Marcell Komor and Dezső Jakab. Trained in Lechner’s office, the architects naturally carried on their master’s formal language. The iconic buildings of Budapest, Kecskemét, Târgu Mureș, Oradea, Subotica and Palic remain stunningly beautiful, defining features of these cityscapes, even after centuries of turbulent history.
Subotica gained the status of a free royal city in 1779, which opened the way for economic and cultural prosperity, allowing merchants and artisans to build wealth and shape the lifestyle of the upper class to their taste. They were highly responsive to all novelties and cultural trends, embracing everything that symbolized the urban lifestyle of affluence.
Their desire arose to build "Swiss-style summer houses", countryside manors, bourgeois holiday homes or villas for leisure and relaxation. The Alps surrounding the Swiss houses were considered the most romantic landscape at the time. This ideal is reflected in the atmosphere of the Palics summer homes, with their intricately crafted wooden structures and decorative elements, complemented by the features of Hungarian Art Nouveau.
From 1869 onwards, railway traffic passed through Palics, connecting the town to the vibrant European life that its citizens longed for.
The current railway station, built in 1887, is a classical-style building with a romantic character, which, after being closed for a long time, was renovated in 2022.
Ornamental terrazzo flooring
The Intermunicipal Institute for Monument Protection of Subotica, in collaboration with the architectural studio and the investor, decided to commission Iamart with the production of small-element terrazzo tiles for the site. The terrazzo is manufactured using traditional, handcrafted techniques, ensuring that the appearance of the flooring fully resembles the original pieces from the period.
Designer: VS INFRA DESIGN Ltd., Belgrade
Architect: Savičić Đurica
Monument Protection Supervision: Intermunicipal Institute for Monument Protection of Subotica
Prčić Vujnović Gordana, Architect - Conservator
Adél Grbic-Ludasi, Architect - Conservator
Contractor: Karin Komerc MD Ltd., Novi Sad
