The building
The one-storey building of diverse mass and picturesque appearance, together with its high and steep roofs and cupolas recalls Renaissance palaces of France. The outside of the palace hasn't been modified ever since its construction, being a national monument from 1958. The original French natural shale on the roof and the spectacular high brick chimneys deserve special attention, not to forget about the wrought iron bars, the towers, decorative tin ornaments on top and the dormer windows.
To the main building two cylindrical-shaped towers and the palm house are joined. By the southern façade a spiral staircase got installed, through which the whole building can be reached from attic to cellar. On the top of the mentioned tower on the northern side a wind flag can be seen, on which the date 1883 can be read, under which is a clock tower surrounded by the patio and stone bars, and further down a stone barred patio with archways on the ground floor.
By going through under the car lane, across the main entrance we reach the groined vault hallway. To this the main hallway is joined whose first floor loft is underpinned by arches. Around the main hall were the scenes of social life, such as the library, dining hall, salons and the pool-room.
One can reach the upper floor through the main stairs that are separated by four Dorian columns. Above the stairs is the ceiling made special by its paintings and the baluster handrails. This is where the rooms of the family members were, while maids slept in the mansard. Miklós Ybl paid great attention to light effects; above the top floor colorful windows were placed in square-shaped iron-framed cassettes, which were illuminated by light coming from light tunnels lined with 8 mirrors inside.
The Palm house, reminiscent of chapels with its 4-apsis cupola areas, could be accessed through the main floor hallway. The house was used for keeping ornamental plants. In the middle of the cupola area were 3 water fountains. The Palm house was equipped with lead-cassette windows with arches. In the circular windows one could notice animal figures as well.
Just at the time of the constructions of the palace they started building the Opera house, whose inner spaces and ornamental paintings can be noticed in the palace, too. The arches of the main hall and the Palm house are stressed by the ornamental painting, the cassette-style ceiling of the staircase and the mansard are characterized by the grotesque ornamental painting, carried out by Robert Scholz, the wall-painter of the side-stairs of the Opera house. The remains of this 50-year lifespan painting can still be seen today.
Further unique qualities of the building are that it included all the significant technological developments of the time. The originally 98-room palace used to have a food elevator, central heating, electricity, conduit, bathrooms on all floors, a 30 cm air layer between the walls serving as insulation, and ventilation was provided by funnels.