Biography
He studied in Budapest and Vienna. He worked as a sculptor, architect, applied artist, painter, interior designer, and writer. In Hungary, he became known primarily for his decorative sculptural work; his name is associated with the sculptural ornamentation of numerous significant public and residential buildings, most notably the Liszt Academy of Music, the Gresham Palace, and the Széchenyi Thermal Bath in Budapest. He designed the Hungarian pavilions for the 1906 Milan World's Fair and—in collaboration with Dénes Györgyi (1886–1961)—for the 1909 Venice Biennale, as well as the hall for the 1911 Turin World's Fair. Subsequently, he was invited to Mexico, where he contributed to the interior design and sculptural ornamentation of the National Theatre in Mexico City (1904–1939), now known as the Palace of Fine Arts. He met Eliel Saarinen (1873–1950) and, at his invitation, moved to America for a time in 1927; there, he created the sculptural and painted decorations for the Fisher Building in Detroit and designed the marble Livingstone Memorial Lighthouse. He returned to Budapest in 1931, where he took up teaching positions at the School of Applied Arts and the Faculty of Architecture at the Technical University.