05/01/2026
COMING—COMING—COMING!
Hudec 133 – or what might explain the Hudec effect?
Roundtable discussion and film screening in the China Cultural Center in Budapest
8th of January, 5 pm
Event: https://facebook.com/events/s/a-hudec-jelenseg-a-magyar-epit/885268594009754/
Participants:
Júlia Csejdy, art historian, researcher of the Budapest family archive, co-author of the "László Hudec" monography, family member
Csaba Sárközi, architect
viragcsejdy, founder of the Hudec Cultural Foundation, family member
On January 8, 1893, in Besztercebánya (today Banská Bystrica, Slovakia), László Ede Hugyecz was born—known to the world, and made world-famous in Shanghai, as L. E. Hudec. In a roundtable discussion, held exactly 133 years later, we will explore what we know and understand about him today, how his legacy may continue to shape contemporary architecture, and how his nearly 70 buildings, which still define the cityscape of modern Shanghai, continue to influence the city.
How was it possible that a World War I refugee with no prior connections achieved such rapid and remarkable success in Shanghai? How was László Hudec able to work across a wide range of architectural styles, simultaneously adapting to his clients’ expectations while also shaping them? And why has his oeuvre become especially significant for contemporary Chinese architectural history and heritage conservation?
