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Palác Beethoven gets grand makeover

Historic Malá Strana building turned into high-end flats

By Julie O'Shea
Staff Writer, The Prague Post
June 20th, 2007 issue

KURT VINION/THE PRAGUE POST
Palác Beethoven was renovated into high-end luxury flats. The terrace of a top-floor unit, below, gives sweeping views of the Little Quarter.
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KURT VINION/THE PRAGUE POST
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Palác Beethoven

Lazeňská 11
Prague 1
Developer: UNISTAV a.s.
Renovated: 2005
Total cost: 330 million Kč
Number of units: 18

Down an unassuming street in Malá Strana, just meters from Charles Bridge, sits an impressive 16th-century Baroque palace that used to be the stomping grounds for the likes of Albert Einstein and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. However, it was another famous boarder — Ludwig van Beethoven — who would eventually give this stunning building its identity.
KURT VINION/THE PRAGUE POST
A plaque dedicated to Ludwig van Beethoven stands guard outside the 16th-century palace in Malá Strana.
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Aptly named, the Palác Beethoven has gone through many incarnations since it was first constructed as a private residence in 1378. After burning down in the great fire of 1538, it was rebuilt several years later and over the centuries has served as both an administrative building and a boarding house with an adjoining pub, where some of the world’s greatest minds would come to relax after a long day of roaming Prague’s cobbled streets.
Beethoven was said to be a frequent guest of the house during the end of the 18th century, and historians believed it was here that he composed many of his well-known works. UNISTAV a.s., a Brno-based developer, jumped at the chance to purchase this salmon-colored building with a rich history in 2003 and quickly began making plans to renovate the space into 18 luxury flats with breathtaking views of Prague’s Little Quarter. The one-year, 330 million Kč ($15.7 million) project was eventually finished in 2005. The units hit the market shortly thereafter, and many, according to the property developer, were quickly sold, mostly to foreigners, including the 200-square-meter space Beethoven occupied.
The ornate building along Lazeňská street is considered a “real estate monument” and is listed on state records as the “City House at the Gold and White Unicorn.” Jana Černíková, a sales manager with UNISTAV, says Palác Beethoven’s historical status prevented developers from doing a complete overhaul of the structure.
In the end, Černíková says, the project won kudos from conservationists who praised UNISTAV for overseeing the construction work on “one of the best renovated buildings in Prague.”
While UNISTAV has undertaken several renovation jobs — including Prague Castle’s Palác Schwarzenberg — over the past 17 years, firm spokeswoman Linda Čížkovská calls Palác Beethoven a “sort of individual thing.”
UNISTAV doesn’t purposely seek out historical buildings to remodel, Čížkovská says, but when an opportunity like Palác Beethoven falls in its lap, it’s hard to pass up.
Although many of the building’s multimillion-crown flats have already been sold, Čížkovská says there are still a few waiting to be discovered, like, for instance, one spacious, top-floor studio with skylights, exposed-beamed ceilings and a large, outdoor terrace, perfect for entertaining guests or unwinding with a good book.  
During the 17th century, such a space would have been used for storage, not day-to-day living, but Čížkovská says she thinks the cozy, wood-trimmed rooms would be perfect for an artist.
“The conservationists didn’t allow this to be renovated in a very revolutionary way,” Čížkovská adds. The orange-tiled terrace, however, is a new feature. Situated off the flat’s sunny dinning area, the terrace offers sweeping panoramas of Petrín Hill, St. Nicholas Church and Charles Bridge’s towers.
Another modern amenity is the covered parking situated in the building’s private courtyard. But Černíková emphasizes there were few other new additions made. During a recent tour, Černíková happily shows off the Gothic-looking stone cellar, accessible only by a long, spiraling staircase.
According to Černíková, the cellar is the only part of the original building that remains, dating to the 14th or 15th century.
“It’s the most precious thing in the house,” Černíková says, noting that the cellar used to be the building’s main entrance when it was first constructed.
Today, the cellar’s five rooms have been sold off as individual storage areas.
All one has to do to feel like they’ve been transported back in time is to take a walk through the city’s Old Town or the castle district’s labyrinthine gardens and mazes. But for those who are hoping to actually own a little piece of history, look no further than Palác Beethoven.
— Naďa Černá contributed to this report.

Julie O'Shea can be reached at joshea@praguepost.com


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