Párisi Udvar

This guide to Parisi Udvar in Budapest follows the arcade from a 1907 architectural competition, won on paper by one design but built to a wilder vision by German-born architect Henrik Schmahl, who died before it opened in 1913. It traces the passage through communist-era subdivision into apartments, the flight of its shops, and the near-empty years by around 2015 when it stood guarded by a single night watchman. You'll hear about the discovery restorers made when they finally looked closely at the ceiling overhead. Stand beneath the dome and see if you can tell what it's really made of.