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Designed in Hungary

A historical selection, 1880 - 2000

Concept and text by Gyula Ernyey

1883

Zwack's Unicum bottle

The founder and owner of the Zwack liqueur and rum distillery, a Moravian József Zwack, set up his company in Pest during the middle of the 19th century. He insisted his spirits should be made of organic raw materials, never of synthetic substitutes. Production of Unicum bitters started in 1860; the trade mark was patented in 1883. Since then, it has been sold in a dark green spheroid glass bottle with a yellow label. The bottle was slightly flattened on the bottom to give it stability, and a short spout was connected on top. The yellow label on the side depicted a red cross against a white background. This packaging helped a first-rate product gain world-wide recognition.

1883

Zsolnay dinner service (Rotshild-orchid)

What started as a small family ceramics workshop in Pécs had grown into a modern factory by the 1880's, thanks to Vilmos Zsolnay's long decades of painstaking and dedicated experimentation. The great success which marked the company's participation at the 1878 Paris world exhibition opened to them markets from London to Yokohama. It was during this period that the factory produced the orchid-pattern coffee and tea service for the Viennese Rothschilds, who, when commissioned the company to make the service sent an illustrated book on orchids.Vilmos Zsolnay's daughter, Júlia, used this book as her guide when developing the pattern, designing a different orchid for almost every piece in the service for 24. The brilliance of the glaze was complimented by the extravagant colors of the flower designs laced in gold on a cobalt-blue base. In March of the following year, the Rothschilds ordered yet another 90 piece service for their chateau, the Hohenwarte.

1890

Zsolnay porcelain insulators

The Zsolnay factory produced porcelain insulators for the telegraph cables on state commission from the mid-1880s. As the company emblem reveals, the reproduced pieces were made around the 1890s at high technical level in characteristic form close to the pioneering international models.

1891

Ganz's plan for a high-speed electric railway

The plan for a high-speed electric train to run between Vienna and Budapest was first presented by Károly Zipernowsky, the head of Ganz & Company's electrical engineering department, at a conference held on September 12, 1891 in Frankfurt am Main.

The train was to travel at 250 km/hr on flat terrain, 200 km/hr uphill. Trains were to be launched as frequently as traffic required, but for safety reasons, with intervals of not less than 10 minutes. Power requirements were to be supplied by two main generating plants, each located in the vicinity of one of the capitals.

1894

Ganz’s electric household appliances

In 1890, Károly Zipernowsky published and obtained a patent for his "Procedure and mechanisms for the generation of heat by electric currents, and its utilization for industrial and other purposes", a work containing the description and design of various heating appliances such as the electric iron, the electric range and the electric radiator. While the significance of these appliances lay primarily in their technological novelty, they are also the archetypes of designs still in use today. The products of superb engineering skill and ingenious design aptitude, they were given an enthusiastic public reception at the 1894 electric appliance exhibition.

1896

The first Budapest subway

By 1887, when the Andrássy Boulevard was completed, a connection between downtown Budapest and the City Park was established.

Siemens and Halske company had been operating a subsidiary in Budapest since 1892 - was commissioned to draw up plans in 1893. The design was completed under the direction of Heinrich Schwieger of Berlin and Adolf Wörner, director of technology at the City Electric Train Co. of Budapest, and was submitted for approval in early 1895. Construction started by mid-year, and was completed in less than eighteen months. Operation of the subway started May 2, 1896. This is the first underground electric railway of the European continent, outside Britain.

1900

Buchwald’s folding garden chair

Folding chairs, known since ancient times, came into vogue in Europe after the Italian Renaissance. With the emergence of iron and steel processing in the second half of the nineteenth century, several types of chairs were manufactured for different purposes and with comfort levels.The folding garden chair is one of many that became popular in Europe at that time, and one that continues to be produced in much the same form. Its designer and manufacturer, Sándor Buchwald, received a gold medal at the 1900 World Exhibition. The chair is a classic example of vernacular design.

The chair is light, comfortable, durable, inexpensive, and easy to store. It was designed primarily for outdoor use: in a garden, pub, or public places. Many of these chairs were placed along the promenade on the Pest side of the Danube at the beginning of the 20th century.

1902

The Valtellina railway

"This is the first railroad where all trains run on electric, rather than steam power". Thus the factual, yet proud report on the latest success of Ganz & Company given by engineer Jenő Cserháti and "father" of the project, Kálmán Kandó. The Valtellina railway was built to Kálmán Kandó's specifications using 15 Hz, 3,000 V alternating current. The Ganz factory manufactured not only the trains for the Valtellina line, but the entire electric system down to the turbines generating the hydroelectricity. Kandó's three-phase AC hauling system became known world over as the "Systeme Italiana".

1905

Csonka’s cars for the Hungarian Post

The Hungarian Postal Authority, with it’s fleet of vehicles, was a prime initiator of car-design in Hungary. In 1904, the postal authorities issued an international tender for the design and manufacture of 12-14 parcel delivery vans. The Hungarian Wagon and Machine Factory, and István Röck's machine factory won the tender and received an order for four vans each.

Both opted for the use of an engine designed by János Csonka, co-inventor of the carburator (1893)and the chassis were produced jointly. The bodies were made by the Glattfelder Carriage Factory, and in the Workshops of the Budapest Post Office Central Vehicle Maintenance Depot. The experimental models lived up to expectations. The chassis were also used for putting together a number of special-purpose cars, like the four-cylinder, 25 HP postal inspection car, and a custom-built passenger car. This latter was built in the Glattfelder tradition, made it into "the most beautiful car in Budapest" in 1908. It was likewise in 1908 that Csonka started to build his small (about 10 HP) experimental cars for the Postal Authority, and continued to do so up to the outbreak of the war.

1911

Biro’s Pálma rubber heel poster

One of the most memorable, most charming, and certainly the wittiest posters is the one created by Mihály Biró for the Pálma rubber heel ad campaign. The name of the manufacturer catches the eye first. It forms the plinth for the group of people in the picture, which is all the more expressive because it is a group: all wearing shoes with Pálma rubber heels. The vivid colors, too, intensify the message: the Pálma rubber heel is the best!

1911

MÁV No. 301 express steam locomotive

In the 1910s, with increasing demands made by the travelling public on railroads, faster and more powerful express and passenger trains had to be built. The MÁV Machine and Coach Factory rose to the challenge and, in 1911, came out with the No. 301-2C1 axle-system (Pacific) model, which, on flat terrain in 1912, could reach 100 km/hr, pulling a train set weighing 700 tons. The steam locomotive was considered the most powerful and beautiful in Europe.

1911

Nyugat periodical

Modern Hungarian typography, book and magazine design are associated with the name of Elek Falus, whose art was matured by commissions in Berlin and London. Falus designed the title page of the famous periodical of the beginning of the 20th century, Nyugat [West]. The covers of the books in late art nouveau style tinted with Hungarian folkloristic elements pointing towards Art Deco, are satisfying the fundamental requirement of harmony between text and decoration to this day.

1913

The Albatross IV amphibian

Sándor Svachulay started his experiments in the early 1900s, after having conducted exhaustive studies on the movements of birds, imitating them in mechanical and kinematic experiments. His planes differed from other models in design and technology alike. Svachulay perfected his designs by gradual upgrading. His most successful designs were the 1913 Albatross IV, and the Colibri IV. Both planes used 35 HP, Y-type Anzani engines. Albatross IV had a cranked wing structure made of wood, and a steel fuselage. The wingspan was 9 meters, the overall length of the plane 7.5 meters, and its weight, with 4-5 hour's fuel on board, was 240 kg. The contemporary press was unanimous in its praise of the plane, for its ease of climbing, turning, gliding and landing. The Colibri IV weighed 200 kg, had a wing span of 6 meters, and reached a speed of 125 km/hr at the race, almost twice the speed of the 100 HP Austrian planes.

1913

Tungsram’s Tungsten lamp and Faragó’s Poster

One rather interesting episode in the history of Hungarian industrial culture is the fortuitous meeting between the United Lamp and Electric Co (trade name: Tungsram) founded in 1872, and Géza Faragó, one of the most popular Hungarian poster artists at the turn of the century. It was a success story that established a lasting reputation for the factory and artist alike.

An invention by Ferenc Hanaman, engineer, and his associate, Sándor Juszt, the tungsten lamp emitted 3.5 times the amount of light, with the same consumption of power, than its predecessor the carbon filament lamp.The poster designer compares the brilliance of the light bulb to the brilliance of sunshine: the graceful female figure looking into the sunlight shades her eyes with delicate hands.

1920

Kner’s Three tiny books

Shortly after World War I and the ensuing revolutions the Kner company (founded in 1882) published three small interrelated books at the end of 1920, in an effort to revive and define the identity of Hungarian typography. Imre Kner, the company's technical manager from 1910 and Lajos Kozma, helped publish a great many classics using the new typography rooted in Baroque traditions. The stylistic unity of typesetting, ornamentation and illustration found in the Három csöppke könyvecske (Three tiny books) harmonized with the literary content to an even greater extent than in the case of the publishers' earlier volumes, and surpassed the quality being produced by the contemporary Hungarian printing industry as a whole.

1915

Double-decker City Buses

In the early 1910s, immediately preceding the war, motorized public transportation was introduced to Budapest in the form of taxis, buses, and delivery and sanitation trucks. MARTA company was awarded the contract for buses much like the ones running between London's Liverpool Street and West Kilburn. This was a tribute not only to the British system, but also to the Arad-based Hungarian Automobile Corporation founded seven years earlier, for its impartial merit in international competitions. Contemporaries praised the appearance of the new bus, the elegance of its design despite such large size and capacity, and the interior comfort provided for passengers.

1924

Feiro Dongó training and sport aircraft

Lajos Rotter, the designer of several aircrafts between the two wars, and his friends founded the FEIRO Company in 1923. They produced some veneer-paneled, wooden-framed aircrafts with a great number of technological innovations. The most successful of these, the two-seater Dongó, was ahead of its time, both structurally and aerodynamically. The low-resistant, slim and narrow wing construction - used up to then only for gliders - made this aircraft into the world's first glider-winged motor plane. Aesthetically the aircraft's appearance was remarkable: a silver bird with red wheels, seats and identification marks.

1922

The Kandó electric locomotive

Before the Kandó’s new system of electric railways the Ganz Factory made an important work for France. The 1500 Volt DC, 4,000 HP express locomotives designed for the Paris-Orleans Railway Company were the best of telling designs expressing speed and hauling power, with the bulk characteristically broken up.

1924

MÁV No. 424 universal steamlocomotive

With much of her former fuel resources falling outside postwar Hungary's new borders, the need for an economical multi-purpose locomotive became even more acute. To fill this need, MÁVAG (MÁV's machine factory) came out with its MÁV 424 "universal" locomotive, which remained in production for over 30 years with minor structural changes.

1929

Robert Berény: Cordatic poster

The Cordatic tire poster was designed by Róbert Berény in 1928, printed by the Globus Company in 1930. It is a powerful, straightforward striking work, with a boldness undisturbed by superfluous detail, and without the empty formalism of the Neue Sachlichkeit. The figure, the "incroyable" of the Machine Age, does more than sell - it convinces.

1936

Lingel’s Vario furniture

After 1927, following the international and German trend, the Lingel and Sons company embarked on serial manufacturing of utility home furniture. From their earlier modular bookshelves, Lingel developed an entire furniture line under the trade mark Vario. The Lingel system consisted of 14 types of modular units: four types of supports, six vertical, and four horizontal components. "Almost endless number of variations can be assembled from the fourteen basic modules", claimed the S/3 or the M/3 modules.

1929

The Magosupersix

It was in the latter part of the 1920s, with the depression looming on the horizon, the Magyar Általános Gépgyár (Hungarian General Machine Factory) started to develop the epitome of European fashion at the time: the big car. The company came out in 1927, with a six-cylinder, 2,100 cc, 40 HP automobile capable of doing 95 km/hr called the Magosix. It was similar to the best European models because it was economical, designed for long life, and was big and stable. Subsequent improvements and alterations resulted in an updated model with an even more powerful engine, modern brake system, and a more comfortable, luxurious body: the "Magosupersix".

1930

„Whistling” apricot brandy of Kecskemét

A speciality of Kecskemét, a city known as the capital of the Great Plain, is apricot grown in the sandy soil and ripened by long sunny periods. The apricot brandy of great fame in known far outside Hungary. The name of the city has been associated with the brandy from the turn of the 18th-19th centuries. In the 1930s, Zwack and Partner searched an appropriate bottle shape and found the long-necked, so-called "whistling" bottle in use from the late 18th century. The apricot brandy advertised as the king of spirits earned world fame in this characteristic packaging.

1931

Gliding boat design

Inspired by contemporary foreign innovations, Kornél Fényes, an authority on hydrodynamics, published the design of a gliding boat with mechanical engineer Iván Fényes for the Budapest-Vienna river route in 1931. To be competitive with the express railway, the boat would have had to cover 282 km of the Danube in four hours (i.e., at a speed of 80 km per hour).

1931

Heisler chair

The Budapest Furniture Fair in the autumn of 1931 saw the appearance of a chair which was to have a colorful history, but which has since been largely forgotten. It was designed by Lajos Kozma and manufactured by József Heisler's woodworking factory. Variations on the first Hungarian model chair were of all different shapes and materials. However, all were spring-backed, the back unit being a steel plate. The back was then covered with cane, or was laminated, while the seat itself was caned, upholstered or laminated. There were ones with steel tube legs and wooden legs, wooden frames and steel plate frames.

1932

The Kandó electric locomotive

In 1917, Kálmán Kandó rejoined the staff at the Ganz factory, and began constructing his second system of electric railways - the converter system - which made it possible for the 50 KHz alternating current produced by Hungary's power plants to be directly used for railway haulage. Kandó’s new system of electric railways was tested in Hungary in 1928. The appearance and design of the locomotives differed considerably from those Kandó had been designing until then. The most characteristic feature of Kandó’s new locomotives, howewer, was precisely their simple „box” shape the undecorated body without detail. Composing a single whole, the doors and windows run around the entire body, and their rectangular pattern is broken somewhat only by the slightly arched top curving down over the two sides, and by the slanting planes of the drivers' cabs.

1934

Árpád railcar

The travelling comfort offered by autobuses and airplanes brought a challenge to railway companies the world over. The four-axle railcar named Árpád combined a light steel structure, (which lent high resistance to the car despite a considerable weight reduction) with the high-powered, reliable and lightweight Ganz-Jendrassik diesel engine. It was designed to seat about 70 passengers and run at a maximum speed of 115-120 km per hour. No carriages were meant to be hauled. The purpose was maximum comfort: comfortable seats, a luggage compartment, lavatory, and smooth and quiet running even at high speeds. The car body was designed by a team headed by Ferenc Zámor. The latter team included the factory's own designers, the painter and interior designer, Professor Ferenc Szablya-Frischauf, and his assistant, Pál Minár(y), also an interior designer.

1935

György Konecsni’s poster for Flóra soap

György Konecsni is registered by art history as a classic master of modern Hungarian poster design. His work merged various 20th century modenist tendecies. His best pieces are characterized by a sure balance between witty ideas and vibrant graphic solutions. One of these is the advert for the Flóra soap: birds are chasing each other, as one has found the "dainty morsel" and the rest would like to snatch it. The "morsel" is the advertised commodity in the centre of the composition. At the end of the sweeping arch of the birds nipping at each other the product - the Flóra soap - appears also emphasized by colour. The bird touching the soap whitens from its effect.

1935

Stühmer’s corporate identity

This was the time when companies were already paying special attention to organizing their network of sales outlets, and to wooing customers with the design of their products. This was especially true in the confectionary industry, luxury product manufacturers, and so also of the Frigyes Stühmer Co., one of the oldest and biggest factories in Hungary. The finest Stühmer wrappers, produced in the 1930s, were the creations of Mrs. Kaesz, née Kató Lukáts. So widely acclaimed, they were exhibited at the 1936 Milan Triennial.

The finest pieces of Hungarian Art Deco graphic art, Mrs. Kaesz's work reflects a penchant for the colorful world of folk art. Highly decorative, the compositions are lyrical and very often humorous.

1936

The MÁV No. 242 express steam locomotive

To meet the growing demands on railway traffic in the mid-thirties, MÁV concentrated its efforts on increasing locomotive speed by modernizing existing models and introducing new ones. The locomotive was designed to pull light express trains with at most three or four 4-axle passenger cars. The high-pressure, superheated boiler and twin driving gear gave the locomotive smooth speeds of 120-250 km/hr. It had a dark green exterior, and all external functional details merged into a single mass broken only by the maintenance platform. The mantle also covered the front axles, curving inward below.

1936

Philips Hungary radio

The work of Dezsô Bozzay at Philips Hungary was especially acclaimed, though of uneven quality due mostly to those commissioning the design. The best example is the high-output super-receiver, the Europa Super, which had seven tuned oscillating circuits, and was made in an AC main and universal variant suitable for phonograph amplification. The radio box, made of polished walnut with a black stand below, is exemplary in its simplicity.

1937

Express train for the Argentine Railway

The Bariloche diesel train produced for the 800 km wide-track Viedma-Bariloche line, consisted of two engine cars and additional coaches inserted between. The latter could be easily removed when there were fewer passengers. The engine cars had a maximum speed of 100 km/hr, and accommodated 146 passengers resting on a three-axle sliding, and a two-axle rotating, bogie; additional cars were on two two-axle rotating bogies. The frame was made of arc-welded chrome nickel steel, and the coach body was panelled with 2.5 mm steel plate. The secret of its success lay in the technological excellence and travel comfort guaranteed by the Ganz trains, their functional and aesthetic design, as well as in the company's flexible business policies.

1939

Mátra 100 motocycle

The Mátra products were designed by racing champion László Urbach and performed extremely well at Hungarian races, receiving high recognition from even the topmost members of the international racing community. The 100 cc two-speed motorcycles, weighing only 37 kilograms (a weight below inspection, license and tax requirements) set records such as 56 km/hr average speed at a distance of 545 km. The Mátra 100 incorporated a lot of innovations. The only aesthetic feature of the performance-oriented, light sturdy and powerful machine was its drop-shaped, silver-striped fuel tank. On the whole, the Mátra 100 was a glowing example of performance and lucid design.

1943

Orion’s 466G radio-phonograph

Established in 1913 as a 100 percent Hungarian enterprise, the "Hungarian Wolfram Lamp Factory" changed its name to "Orion Electric Co." in 1924 and won international recognition in a very short time. Orion had been in contact since 1923 with artist József Bottlik designer of Orion's well-known three-headed logo in 1924. The designer who was longest associated with the company (from 1940 to 1953) was András Novák. A fine example is the well-proportioned, subtly detailed cabinet of Orion's Mark 466 G radio-phonograph. It combined the highly sensitive 5-Watt-output Orion 466 shortwave set with an electric record player with a crystal pickup system, all in a shiny, polished walnut cabinet.

1946

The ball-point Go-Pen

The first ball-point pen was patented in 1946 by Andor Goy and manufactured in Hungary in 1947, known also as "the Biró" the world over. This name comes from another Hungarian, journalist László Biró.

The model produced by Andor Goy had a metal case, black plastic push-button, and a clip with two functions: when the clip was pushed, the tip jumped back into the case, and it also served the purpose of fixing the pen to the pocket or anywhere else. All in all, it was the forerunner of modern models.

1947

The Duflex camera

In a patent taken out in 1943, Hungarian cameraman and inventor Jenô Dulovits proposed a solution that would make it possible for the photographer to shoot the picture while holding the camera at eye level. The Duflex (DUlovits reFLEX) photographic camera appeared by the Gamma Company on the Hungarian market early in 1948. Plain rectangular in shape with rounded corners and free of protruding parts, it was a typical rangefinder camera. Reflex S had a form similar to the later Contax D, with a marked emphasis on the pentaprism.

1948

Csepel 125 motocycle

Csepel Works, then still Weiss Manfred Steel and Metal Works began serial production with the development of the essentially new small 3-speed Csepel motorcycle in 1947. With upgraded construction and improved production techniques, they began to produce in greater quantities safe and inexpensive motorcycles of higher (125 cc) cylinder capacity, with plate-iron forks and larger steel-belted tires. The 125 cc cycles had 4.1 HP and travelled at 80 km/hr. They improved not only the performance, but the comfort-features as well. This model hugged the road, and offered the same riding comfort as its foreign competitors. Along with its comfort and safety features, the black motorcycle's silver fuel tank, and the obvious attention devoted to its smallest details, all countributed to this model's becoming the symbol of an era. The high quality of its design is due primarily to the capabilities of Jenő Jurek, inventor and mechanical engineer.

1952-54

Ikarus 55 and 66 buses

The Ikarus 55 and 66, represented a new era in public transportation for Hungary, and intended were to boost Hungarian motor coach exports. They went through a number of developmental phases coordinated by Chief Engineer Béla Zerkovitz, and body designer György Horváth. The main characteristics of the body - other than its light weight - were the pronounced design of the rear-engine compartment, and the use of a pontoon to divide the passenger compartment. The tilted windshield and rear window, the panoramic windows beginning and ending on a diagonal, and the unique design of the pontoon itself gave the model a streamlined appearance and an air of dynamic strength.

1957

Bozzay’s round phone

It is an emblematic work of both the period and the designer, Dezső Bozzay. It also scored success at the Expo in Brussels in 1958. The name derives from its usability from all angles: it models an arched truncated cone. Both the receiver and the body are constructed of easily dismountable two parts, the overall shape is characterized by sculptural modelling.

1957

Tünde transistor radio

After long years of self-imposed isolation, Hungarian industry reacted fast to the challenge of the international vanguard when, two years after the American-Japanese world premiere of transistors in 1955, it brought out the Tünde transistor radio in 1957. Its manufacturer, the Elektromechanikai Vállalat (Electromechanical Company), brought out two versions. The first variant was produced in small numbers with the use of Telefunken transistors, with no battery-charger, a gold or silver-color circular tuning dial; and no transmission for its rotating condenser. The second variant was an example of real mass production. It had Japanese (Hitachi) transistors, a sheet metal dial, and transmission drive. The 9 Volt set could be operated either with a clip-in single-cell battery, or from a storage battery. Through the charging apparatus, the radio could also be operated from electric circuit. Its designer, Imre Burodics, had the pioneering Japanese, American and German models in mind when he created the slim, characteristically horizontal quadrangle. Its technological qualities and appearance were both up to the highest standards winning of the Gold Medal at the 1958 Brussels World Fair.

1958

The Gábriel chair

The Gábriel chair is a good example of efforts made by Hungarian designers in the late 1950s to make up for time lost in the first postwar decade. It is one of the few postwar products named after the designer, Frigyes Gábriel. His designs were judged outstanding by the Council for Industrial Arts. Gábriel designed a slender, natural oak structure with graceful bent slats, a curved back, and a light seat cushion. The whole structure suggests supple strength. The smoothly arched back and rounded seat went well with the slightly tapered, conical legs. It was at once eminently functional, graceful, and reasonably priced.

1960

Góbé R-26 two-seater training glider

After the Second World War, Hungary's airplane industry was by and large confined to the manufacture of gliders. It was quite a tradition to keep up. The most prominent designer to emerge was Ernô Rubik Sr., who was also the first to receive the Kossuth prize in 1963 for his aeronautic designs.

Ernô Rubik Sr.,who was also the first to receive the Kossuth prize in 1963 for his aeronautic designs. Rubik reached the zenith of his success with development of the new, light-metal plane production. The R-23 Gébics was the first butterfly-tail, corrugated metal airplane, and the R-25 Mokány, the first single-seat, butterfly-rudder, high performance glider, followed, in 1960, by the R-26 Góbé, a mass-produced, two-seater training glider. With its streamlined fuselage and logical smooth flowing design, the Góbé‚ has become the most successful of Hungarian gliders.

1961

D4K „all-purpose” tractor

Although agricultural machine manufacturing had quite a tradition in Hungary, labor-intensive farming dictated by the system of great estates up to the Second World War had hardly been conducive to the widespread use of farm machinery. The task was undertaken at the end of the 1950s by the Red Star Tractor Factory, the name adopted in 1951 by the Hofherr-Schrantz-Clayton-Shuttleworth Hungarian Machine Company. The 28 HP-four-wheel-drive basic model, the UE-28, was developed in 1959 with this in mind. Its satisfactory performance (good steering, durable parts, and relatively low overhead costs) provided the basis on which the new, more powerful D4K could be developed.

The D4K was designed to be maximally user-friendly. The driver's seat as well as various operating instruments were based on the latest findings of biotechnology, a branch of science still in its infancy in Hungary at the time. To optimize its visual qualities, industrial designer Aladár Németh, (a graduate of the first course in engineering-based product design offered by the Academy of Applied Arts) was asked to join in the work of planning. With his participation, the D4K became a piece of machinery that gave the impression of dynamism and stylistic unity.

1967

Ikarus 200 buses

In 1964 autobus manufacturing was given priority in the national economic plan, and in order to achieve it, the state set aside 1 billion forints to develop the Ikarus company. The idea was to develop a highly versatile „family” of autobus models which met the most up-to-date requirements and could be produced in a considerably shorter time than their predecessors, and whose manufacturing would involve hardly more tools and operations than that of a single model. The 200 family consisted of 12 kinds of buses falling under 4 sub-types between 8 to 18 meters long, for city or long-distance use, in normal or articulated variants. Each of the 12 kinds had horizontally positioned rear engines, a hydraulic steering gear, pneumatic suspension, and other comforts. The luxury models also had air conditioning, toilets and other storage spaces for long--distance travel; models made to meet special requirements like conference or medical buses were customized according to need. The bodies retained all the production and space-saving advantages of a box-like, rectangular design, but had a smoother form, with the edges of the big geometric surfaces elegantly rounded off, and the various connecting elements tailored for sleekness. Of the two most successful members of the „family”, the 250 and 280 went on the market in 1968 and 1972, respectively. The designer who had helped a number of the successful Ikarus products was László Finta.

1972

Orion’s Venus television set

The Orion company, which began to manufacture television sets in Hungary in 1956, developed its first sets in the trapezoid style of American design with the assistance of Mihály Kovács and Dezsô Bozzay. These long-life sets with wooden cabinets and plastic fronts were still in use in thousands of homes when Orion launched its AT 551 Venus model, the first member of its new product series. The AT 551 designed by László Karmazsin known for his subtle sense of form was a low-consumption, highly sensitive, medium-transistorized black-and-white tabletop TV set with a 51 cm screen. The model marketed in Hungary was capable of receiving both Western and Eastern-system TV broadcasts. The export variant, made for the CCIR system, was suitable for the reception of transmitters operating in Bands VHF I, II, III, and UHF IV and V, and also for the reception of color broadcasts in black-and-white. The plastic cabinet of the set, highly individual in design, was made of shockproof ABS and polystyrol. The arched trapezoid shape recalls earlier successful forms.

1972

Saturnus tableware

In the summer of 1973, the Finomkerámiai Mûvek won the Gold Prize in Faenza with the set at one of the greatest international competitions for ceramic products and objects of art. In its original form, László Horváth's design consisted of 15 different types of dishes, including a soup tureen, bowls, tea and coffee pots, cups and saucers, dinner plates, and salt and pepper shakers. The structures and details of the various types of dishes show careful attention to function, such as on the larger serving bowls and platters, where the handles are stretched and elongated to ensure a secure hold.

1975

Wrench set with changeable heads

In the 1960s and 70s, machinery with variable drive and changeable tooling (and tools with changeable heads) became an international trend in manufacturing. László Karmazsin and Gábor Miticzky followed this trend, and in 1975 they developed a hammer and wrench set based on the above principles. Both sets, with identical handles and different heads, were designed for use by the do-it-yourself enthusiast and the professional repair and maintenance man. In order to change the heads, the handles had to be first opened and then pulled apart while twisting a T-shaped dowel. The wrench set was re-designed, and the new, improved version was patented in 1981. The new unit was made of fewer parts, and the method of changing and affixing various heads was altered.

1976

Electric train for the Yugoslav railway

By the early 1970s, about a third of Yugoslavia's railway system was run on electricity, handling half of its traffic. They proposed to bring this proportion up to two-thirds by the middle of the decade, with 25 kV, 50 Hz hauling, and they also wanted to provide more trains to improve passenger service. As a result, they ordered 46 three-car train sets from the Hungarian Ganz-MÁVAG and Ganz Electric companies. With an average of 5 km for a stopping distance, the commuter and inter-city trains move at 60-70 km/hr and 120 km/hr, respectively. As a special requirement, the trains were to maintain 70 km/hr uphill, and 60 km/hr downhill at a 25^o incline. Expediency of function, ease of production and economical operation were the principles governing the coordinated construction and design effort. The Zagreb Railway Board reserved the right to choose the color scheme and the ultimate design from several proposals. Thus, Ganz-MÁVAG's technical staff had an opportunity to work together with Tibor Szentpéteri, a former employee, who was commissioned as the project's designer. One of the obvious results of this cooperation is that the construction and design are equally novel and original.

1977

Rubic’s cube

The Bűvös Kocka (Magic Cube), more commonly known as the Rubik's Cube, is the most widely acclaimed 20th century Hungarian intellectual and industrial product, and its creator the most renowned Hungarian. By the 80s, the Cube had earned a definition in the Oxford Dictionary. Though inventor Ernô Rubik had intended it to be only a three-dimensional construction, like all great products, it created rather than followed market demand. In essence, the toy is a cube-shaped puzzle, made up of 3x3x3 or 27 small cubes of 6 different colors of which 26 can be turned around 3 axes. The aim is to come up with six monochrome lateral faces by turning the cubes. Millions have understood the message of Rubik's Cube. National and international events and organizations have featured it as a game or sport. Its amazing popularity resulted in the sale of over 100 million original cubes, -- and an estimated 50 million fakes. Ernő Rubik created an ideal product for Hungarian industry with its relatively low labor and material costs. Its value lies in the intellectual achievement it represents.

1978

Thermos bottle family

In early 1977 the Nagykanizsa factory of the Glass Industrial Works decided to renew its product assortment and had new plastic covers made for the glass core of thermos flasks and heat containers. József Gollob designed two basically different types: a more rustic one for tracking, travelling, and a more refined one to fit tableware. Eventually, three thermos bottles and a heat container were designed, each in 4 variants, with inventive details and harmonious overall formal solutions.

1984

Helia-D cosmetic jars

The Biogal Pharmaceutical Factory developed the invention of Ms. Jenô Nedecky's, a new rejuvenating cream based on a sunflower-stalk extract. It was the first time that a cosmetic cream, planned from the beginning to compete with the French products on the European market, was to be made in Hungary. The original idea was to market the cream in porcelain jars. Finally the Tokod Glass Works came to the rescue and updated one of their furnaces to accommodate the special technology involved in manufacturing jet black jars. The Helia-D jars themselves were simple, compact and very attractive. The Helia-D logo, and the box for the jar, were designed by Róbert Békési and Miklós Pattantyús. After their initial success in 1983, the Helia-D Company expanded its line of cosmetics. János Kövesdi with his brother László, caught the spirit of the gold-lettered black glass jar that Éva Koplányi had designed for the first Helia-D product. Their bottles for a new face cleanser and moisturizer were in the same nostalgically romantic vein, and won the Eurostar award in Stockholm in 1985. As the unflagging international demand for Helia-D products led the company to yet further diversify its line of cosmetics, Biogal Pharmaceuticals decided to bring out an exclusive gift package version of the facial creams in jars designed by Endre Szász, a recognized artist working for the Hollóháza Porcelain Factory. Helia-D was an overwhelming success, winning the World Packing Organization's World Star award in 1986, the first Hungarian product ever to do so.

1984

Videoton’s portable television set

The Videoton Company - founded in 1938 - embarked on a rapid development program in the early 50s which soon began to demand its share of the market. As part of this program, the Videoton Radio and Television Factory was one of the first companies in Hungary to set up its own design studio more than 25 years ago engaging the help of design consultants on a regular basis. The trend was accelerated in 1970 when established designer Lajos Veres, was hired to head the department. With his leadership, the studio soon became the largest and most diversified design department in the machinery and appliance industry. Design on the TS 2601 television set was started in December 1982. The aim was to come up with a medium-size, low consumption portable set which could be operated on AC current and battery alike. In addition, the goal was to make it suitable to use in different rooms of a house or cottage as a primary or secondary set, and which could be quickly and easily assembled from existing panels and modular units. Veres made the whole unit appear smaller than it actually was. He created an exciting, fluid form with curving lines and panes, a pointedly asymmetric front panel, and elegant colors: dark brown for the back frame, metallic brown and champagne for the front.

1986

Malév corporate identity

Developing a corporate identity for an airline is probably one of the most complex of planning procedures. The logo has to be projected on a great variety of company equipment and supplies, from airport stairways to advertising at ticket agencies the world over. Though relatively small by international standards, MALÉV maintains 350 kinds of vehicles comprising a fleet of 1,500. It regulating puts out hundreds of different schedules and other printed matter. At the end of 1986, graphic designer László Zsótér and interior designer Gábor Gereben, were selected to lead this transformation of the country's image. By early 1987, the logotype, emblem, color scheme display the company name had been determined. The current typography was born along with a unique symbol – three short horizontal lines – which became the basic component of the emblem. The name "MALÉV" could not be changed since it was well known and generally accepted; but "Hungarian Airlines" was added.

The blue in the company's traditional color scheme became a shade darker, and national colors were added as well as the color grey – used primarily for architectural components. A complex graphic system was developed using combinations of the above colors.

1987

Rubic’s Magic

In the wake of the Magic Cube's worldwide success, Ernő Rubik in the spring of 1985 obtained patent rights to his new puzzle, which became known as Magic Squares in Hungary and as Rubik's Magic abroad. The basic idea of the Magic Cube is deeply rooted in ancient folklore: toys like Jacob's ladder and the Chinese purse are among its predecessors. Rubik's Magic was a system from 2 to 12 elements, and its 8-element member "Link the Rings" became most popular ont he market. The high-visibility international Matchbox Toys handles its marketing, and has sold some 15 million of the sets. The image that emerges when the puzzle is solved makes it perfect for advertising as well, and a number of commemorative versions have been produced for special current events.

1987

Fabulissimo cosmetics packaging

It was in the early 70s that the Kôbánya Pharmaceutical Factory – established by Gedeon Richter in 1901 and today again operating under his name – decided to start manufacturing cosmetics as well. The Fabulon line of cosmetics at that time was initially marketed in plastic bottless and the Fabulon-logo itself was designed by a graphic artist, Mátyás Gál. An improvement over initial containers was the clear plastic geometrical shapes designed by Alexandra Nagy in 1972. The company's next success, a product series made to satisfy the special skin-care needs of teenagers, enabled it to go on to luxury cosmetics in 1987. First the ladies' line, then the men's line of Fabulissimo products appeared in opaque glass jars and bottles, manufactured by the Karcag Glass Works using modern environment-friendly technology. The lettering on the jar was designed by György Kara, the gift box housing it by Katalin Matkó.

1996

Plastic backpack

Judit Kárpáti-Rácz is an internationally renowned representative of the young generation of designers. Her bags, body jewels, costume accessories made of colourful plastic with the knotting technique, sometimes complemented with beads and other materials, satisfy particular requirements, especially among young people.

1997

Ikarus E94G articulated city buses

The technical standard and design of the suburban articulated bus produced by Ikarus Special Coach Factory Ltd. matches the latest standards of similar environment-friendly vehicles of German, Italian and French make. As to its practical value, comfort and appearance, the professionals found this bus to be of world standard. The aerodynamic outline of the bus designed by the team of chief designer Lajos Torma, fits well in with the other models of the factory. The coating covering the steel structure is made of reinforced fiber plastics, aluminium and glass using laminating technology. The laminated shaded glass windows on the plane body offer pleasant contrast to the light-coloured body. The wide double doors are easy to access, and the low floor and steps make getting on and off easy. The first step may be lowered by 80 mm for sick, old or handicapped people. Powerful poliellypsoid headlights and fog lights add to greater security.

1999

Kangaroo car for the disabled

Zsolt Varga's experimental automobile is a new example of green design. The electronic car designed for the physically disabled can be driven from the manpowered wheelchair to be pushed inside through the rear door. It is characterized by good manoeuvrability and small size (200x105 cm). Its top speed is 45km/hour, its range is 70-100 km. To use it only a licence for bicycle engine is required.

1999

Smoky easy chair

Designed by János Vásárhelyi for public buildings, the Smoky bentwood furniture set favours an arched style. With the bentwood conical legs they recall Thonet chairs. The same bending tool is used for the various forms and pieces of the beechwood furniture. The combined use of wood and metal sets apart these furniture sets and gives them special appeal. Each piece of furniture is beautifully finished. The arms of the easy chairs open up in a fine curve and over the support of the arched legs. The basket shape of the back is accented by rhytmically placed polished metal rods. Manufacturer: Hajduthonet Bentwood Furniture and Commercial Corp., Debrecen.

2000

Tracked bookshelf system

This elegant shelf system, which can bridge great longitudes is made of identical elements: these elements were created by mould pressing and gluing flat and wavy planes into a layered board. The honeycombed structure withstands bending pressure twenty-seven times greater than the average thickness shelf. The meeting point of the vertical supports and the dovetailed horizontal shelves form characteristic motifs. The shelf system designed and manifactured by Dániel Lakos won the Furniture Design Award at the 1999 Asahikawa International Furniture Design fair.