An Architectural Portrait of The Oculus in New York City

by Jennifer Skopp

Jennifer Skopp had recently visited Budapest, Hungary where she saw Fisherman's Bastion. It is a historical monument that is parallel to the Danube River, overlooking the Pest side of the city. A bastion is usually part of a fortification designed for defense, but in this case it is a scenic terrace meant for public enjoyment. It was built between 1895 to 1903 to celebrate the 1000th anniversary of the Hungarian state. It has the look of a castle from a fairytale.

The style of the architecture of Fisherman’s Bastion is Romanesque and Neo-Gothic. It is constructed out of white and sand colored stones. There are seven turrets. The original walls were built in the 1700’s. These walls formed part of the walls of Buda Castle. There are many openings that have an arched top. There are also small round openings as well as very narrow rectangular ones. The Pest side of the city could be seen through the openings. A rounded wall surrounds the structure. There are black street lamps placed on short columns.