Palais Equitable
Encyclopedia
The Palais Equitable is a mansion
in Stock-im-Eisen-Platz in the Innere Stadt
of Vienna
, Austria
that was built in the 19th century for The Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States and that incorporates the Stock im Eisen
on one corner.
The building is on the site of five small medieval buildings that were demolished in 1856–86, partly in order to expand Kärntner Straße
. It was designed by Andreas Streit and constructed in 1887–91. It is one of the few palace
s or mansion
s in Vienna never to have been an aristocratic residence.
The Palais Equitable has a richly detailed façade
featuring American eagles. The Stock im Eisen, enclosed in glass, is in a niche on the Kärntner Straße corner of the building, and bronze reliefs by Rudolf Weyr on the main doors depict its history. The remainder of the ornamentation is by Viktor Oskar Tilgner
and Johann Schindler.
The interior is also extremely sumptuous: marble from Hallein
and granite from Saxony
were used for the dramatic stairway and the vestibule, and the glass-covered interior courtyard is completely clad in tile and maiolica
. (The stairway was apparently intended to be adaptable for access to a future subway
.) A painting on the ceiling of the lobby and the stucco
ornamentation on the second floor are by Julius Victor Berger.
Wilhelm Beck & Söhne, providers of uniforms to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, had its shop in the building, and the United States
consulate was located there.
The Palais Equitable was damaged in World War II
but was restored in 1949. The entrance area was renovated by Rüdiger Lainer in 1997. Today the building houses offices of various companies and organizations including the Austrian division of Sal. Oppenheim
, and a retail outlet for Aurgarten Porcelain.
Mansion
A mansion is a very large dwelling house. U.S. real estate brokers define a mansion as a dwelling of over . A traditional European mansion was defined as a house which contained a ballroom and tens of bedrooms...
in Stock-im-Eisen-Platz in the Innere Stadt
Innere Stadt
The Innere Stadt is the 1st municipal District of Vienna . The Innere Stadt is the old town of Vienna. Until the city boundaries were expanded in 1850, the Innere Stadt was congruent with the city of Vienna...
of Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
that was built in the 19th century for The Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States and that incorporates the Stock im Eisen
Stock im Eisen
The Stock im Eisen is the midsection of a tree-trunk from the Middle Ages, a so-called nail-tree , into which hundreds of nails have been pounded for good luck over centuries...
on one corner.
The building is on the site of five small medieval buildings that were demolished in 1856–86, partly in order to expand Kärntner Straße
Kärntner Straße
Kärntner Straße is the most famous shopping street in central Vienna . It runs from the Stephansplatz out to the Wiener Staatsoper at Karlsplatz on the Ringstraße...
. It was designed by Andreas Streit and constructed in 1887–91. It is one of the few palace
Palace
A palace is a grand residence, especially a royal residence or the home of a head of state or some other high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word itself is derived from the Latin name Palātium, for Palatine Hill, one of the seven hills in Rome. In many parts of Europe, the...
s or mansion
Mansion
A mansion is a very large dwelling house. U.S. real estate brokers define a mansion as a dwelling of over . A traditional European mansion was defined as a house which contained a ballroom and tens of bedrooms...
s in Vienna never to have been an aristocratic residence.
The Palais Equitable has a richly detailed façade
Facade
A facade or façade is generally one exterior side of a building, usually, but not always, the front. The word comes from the French language, literally meaning "frontage" or "face"....
featuring American eagles. The Stock im Eisen, enclosed in glass, is in a niche on the Kärntner Straße corner of the building, and bronze reliefs by Rudolf Weyr on the main doors depict its history. The remainder of the ornamentation is by Viktor Oskar Tilgner
Viktor Oskar Tilgner
Viktor Oskar Tilgner was an Austrian sculptor of German origin. He is a representative of neo-baroque in Austria.- See also :* Tilgner* List of fountains in Bratislava...
and Johann Schindler.
The interior is also extremely sumptuous: marble from Hallein
Hallein
Hallein is a historic town in the Austrian state of Salzburg, the capital of the Hallein district. It is located in the Tennengau region south of the City of Salzburg, along the Salzach river in the shadow of the Untersberg massif, near the border with Germany. With a population of c...
and granite from Saxony
Saxony
The Free State of Saxony is a landlocked state of Germany, contingent with Brandenburg, Saxony Anhalt, Thuringia, Bavaria, the Czech Republic and Poland. It is the tenth-largest German state in area, with of Germany's sixteen states....
were used for the dramatic stairway and the vestibule, and the glass-covered interior courtyard is completely clad in tile and maiolica
Maiolica
Maiolica is Italian tin-glazed pottery dating from the Renaissance. It is decorated in bright colours on a white background, frequently depicting historical and legendary scenes.-Name:...
. (The stairway was apparently intended to be adaptable for access to a future subway
Vienna U-Bahn
The Vienna U-Bahn is a rapid transit system consisting of five lines. It is the backbone of one of the best performing public transport systems worldwide according to UITP in June 2009. More than 1.3 million passengers use the Vienna U-Bahn every day...
.) A painting on the ceiling of the lobby and the stucco
Stucco
Stucco or render is a material made of an aggregate, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as decorative coating for walls and ceilings and as a sculptural and artistic material in architecture...
ornamentation on the second floor are by Julius Victor Berger.
Wilhelm Beck & Söhne, providers of uniforms to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, had its shop in the building, and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
consulate was located there.
The Palais Equitable was damaged in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
but was restored in 1949. The entrance area was renovated by Rüdiger Lainer in 1997. Today the building houses offices of various companies and organizations including the Austrian division of Sal. Oppenheim
Sal. Oppenheim
Sal. Oppenheim jr. & Cie. AG & Co. KGaA is a European Private Bank, currently headquartered in Cologne, Germany. It manages and administers €138 billion of assets and employs around 3,800 employees in more than 30 sites in Germany and Europe...
, and a retail outlet for Aurgarten Porcelain.
Sources
- Eve Marie Young. Art and Enterprise: The 19th Century Administrative Buildings of a U.S. Life Insurance Company: With Particular Consideration of the Vienna, Austria, building known as "zum Stock in Eisen". Dissertation, University of BonnUniversity of BonnThe University of Bonn is a public research university located in Bonn, Germany. Founded in its present form in 1818, as the linear successor of earlier academic institutions, the University of Bonn is today one of the leading universities in Germany. The University of Bonn offers a large number...
, 1991
External links
- Palais Equitable at Nicolas Janberg's Structurae
- Palais Equitable at Planet Vienna
- 360° panorama of Stephansplatz at Panoramic Earth