Kecskemét Reformed New College
The building of the New College, which is home to the Kecskemét Reformed Primary School and High School, was designed by the architect Valér Mende, who died tragically young. He belonged to the so-called "Young" group of the more modern Art Nouveau movement, which was in harmony with the trends of contemporary international architecture, such as Károly Kós.
The exterior of the building is a blend of Transylvanian folk architecture, the northern German variety of Jugendstil and Finnish influences, while at the same time it has a distinctly Hungarian Lowland atmosphere. The folk roots can also be seen in the design of the grey Zsolnay pyrogranite ornaments. The numerous ceramic owls on the building are a reference to the function of the institution. The stained glass windows of the New College's banqueting hall are from the workshop of Manó Róth. The 56,000 volumes of the Reformed library in the building include such specialities as a volume of Euripides from 1503 and a New Testament from 1541.
