Jászberény, 2005
Architecture: László György Sáros DLA, Ybl Prize laureate architect
The synagogue of Jászberény is still a mystical memory of my childhood. The garden with its lilacs, milk thistles and staghorn sumacs, almost impenetrable to a child… The building with its peculiar, fairy tale-like, exciting yet always a little repulsive, mysterious solitude. With its towers and their crown-like steeples. With its ornaments traversing its orifices like dashed lines. With its serrated ledges made of yellow bricks. Perhaps I could say that this was my first encounter or elementary experience with architecture, when and where architecture was the most important.
Personal time progresses in a peculiar manner. Sometimes it nearly stands still, and other times… Like an express train. The day when I realized: they are demolishing the synagogue – well, that became a station of time standing still…
They cut down all shrubs, thistles and trees. All. And then came the modernization. We all know the result. The box-like flat-roofed result. This was the town library in Jászberény.
Then, thank God, I could design the reconstruction of the library. I endeavoured to do my job literally. Beyond serving the required functions, I wanted to recreate – in character – everything I have mentioned above.
A long overdue compliment to the first and until then most beautiful building of my childhood. A kind of belated lament. A last gesture.
Photography: László György Sáros DLA
