Alfréd Hajós certainly led an exciting life. His talents included architecture and sport. He studied architecture. As he was very successful in sport, having become Hungary's first Olympic champion as a swimmer at the first Olympic Games in 1896, his studies were prolonged. He graduated somewhat late in 1899 and opened his own studio in 1907. The way he designed buildings always in keeping with the times. His last creative phase was characterised by modernism.
His two talents merged in his work. Hajós created several sports facilities, including a swimming pool on Margaret Island in Budapest.
For a long time, he was safe from the anti-Semitic riots in Hungary thanks to his fame as a sportsman. However, the fascist Arrow Cross Party (Nyilaskeresztes Párt) came to power in 1944 and he went into hiding. He helped other Jewish athletes to hide from persecution.
He had three names in his life: He was born as Arnold Guttmann to Jewish parents. He then gave himself the Hungarian-sounding name Hajós and the Hungarian press called him the Hungarian Dolphin due to his sporting success.
Sources
Buildings
Budapest, Hungary
Napraforgó Street