Palais Epstein

The Palais Epstein on Dr.-Karl-Renner-Ring in Vienna's first district is a magnificent example of Neo-Renaissance architecture. Built between 1868 and 1871, it originally served as both residence and bank branch for the banker Gustav von Epstein. The design is by the Danish architect Theophil von Hansen, while the young Otto Wagner served as construction manager. The three-story building, freestanding on three sides, impresses with its horizontally articulated facade, which draws on the forms of the Roman Renaissance. A striking feature is the balcony above the main portal, supported by four caryatids. Inside, numerous historic details can still be seen today, including a lavishly appointed marble staircase with a coffered ceiling and a glass-roofed inner courtyard that holds a fountain figure of Hygieia.

The history of the building is as multilayered as that of the city itself. After the stock market crash of 1873, the palace changed hands several times before passing into state ownership in 1902. Among other things, it housed the Administrative Court, the Vienna City School Board and, during the Nazi era, the building office of the Reich Governor's administration. In the postwar years, it served as the central command post of the Soviet occupation forces, a chapter documented by barred windows and finds such as smuggled prison notes in the anteroom. Since 2005, the Austrian Parliament has used the renovated building for administration, conferences and government negotiations.

Visitors can tour the magnificent piano nobile, which has been restored to its original condition. The former banquet or ballroom is a prime example of Historicist interior design, with light-colored walls that contrast sharply with the dark, partly gilded coffered ceiling. The ceiling is adorned with eleven paintings based on designs by Carl Rahl, depicting a mythological cycle featuring the Birth of Venus. The adjoining winter garden and reception salon are also impressive, with artfully painted ceilings and stucco work modeled on famous examples from Rome and Venice. Today, the Palais Epstein thus combines its rich historical past with its current role as the stately seat of Parliament.