László Hudec Collection // Vault

About this collection

László Ede Hugyecz (1893-1958), known professionally as L. E. Hudec, studied architecture at the Királyi Magyar József Technical University in Budapest. Captured during World War I, Hugyecz was held in a Siberian camp. In 1918, he escaped from a prisoner of war train close to the Chinese border to eventually arrive in Shanghai.

In Shanghai, Hugyecz joined the American architectural firm, R. A. Curry, and started to use the name L. E. Hudec in official writings. By 1925 he had established his own office and a place as one of the leading architects in the city. Many of his buildings (Park Hotel, Moore Memorial Church, Grand Theatre, The Mansion, Union Brewery, Wu’s House, Estrella Apartments, etc.) are well preserved and visible today. The Hungarian architect’s individual approach, his European architectural roots and its traditions enabled him to design something different - including implementing Art Deco style in Shanghai.

This collection is drawn from the held by University of Victoria Special Collections and University Archives.

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