HUNNISH’ Bath

“Back in the old days of glory, the mount of Holy Cross was a look-out site for the great noble landlords. The hill is undercut and interwoven by the stone block masonry of Bodrogkersztúr, which cuts if off like a ribbon, receding to the loess wall here and there to make room for the parking lot as a counterfort, elsewhere slicing off spatial bays for itself as bulky plinths of buildings. These are well-proportioned buildings of traditional structure, spatial rows stung in a linear order. The wide walls of ashlar step out from the foot of the hill, defending the interior world against the traffic of the highway much like a bastion. The building is small, yet able to creaate a force field with its elevated flooring – further enhanced by the shape of the land. Though there are softer traceries on the stone walls, and a more lively rhythm is provided by the rows of windows, the building itself stands like a guard, taking on the shape of warrior graced by the form of grey bull at the top. The house is enriched with delicate details within the frames of a powerfull form:well-wrought fittings, carved stone-blocks, individually lathed metal disks affixed to copper plates, handmade glass blown in Zala. And the playful surfaces so fashionable today,as well as a montage of textures, are also seen on the house,yet not as organizing principles or the designer’s aim: they are only present as a means of detailing,arranged in tectonic order. Stones and precious materials softly adorned, as masses strikingly down-to-earth, bricks in order, as filling surfaces, copper employed like a gay and material turban adoring the head of a warrior-chief. The spatial ordering of the bathhouse appears simle: the central bath areais longitudinally joined by a communicating corridor with two entrances at its end, alongside which the changing rooms, the sauna, in copper cladding, an inverse ziggurat collects and puffs out warm vapours. The lyrical graphic tracery of the glass window-eyes does not let in much light, although they highlight the playful bottles containing fragrant bathing oils that stand cheerfully at the side of the pool.”