Palais Riesch

Designed by Krub­sa­ci­us and Höl­zer and built from 1777 onwards, Pa­lais Riesch was actually the mews of Palais Hoym, whose buildings, now lost, once extended across the entire block from Land­haus­stra­sse to Ram­pi­sche Stra­sse. While Palais Hoym is being reconstructed, Palais Riesch is to be replaced by a new design. The upper floors are to accommodate private flats, with the first floor providing office space. In contrast to the old Palais Riesch, the new building will have commercial premises on the ground floor, with an arcade providing a link to Palais Hoym. The new facade essentially adopts the structural characteristics of its predecessor, namely, the arrangement of the windows, the rhythmic sequence of moulded door surrounds, and the marked plasticity of the connection between ground floor and first floor. While the two lower floors only vary the facade articulation of the original Palais Riesch, characterized by a blind arcade with straight arches, rectangular stucco window aprons, and prominent dripstones above the windows referencing the door surrounds, the upper floors transform and adapt this design by means of recessed balconies that subtly lean out over the street and blur the boundary between private and public space.