Mottlův dům Tenement house

Mottlův dům is a secessionist-renaissance rental building in Praha 1 on Jungmannově náměstí. It was built between the years 1905 and 1906. Originally, it served as a multifunctional commercial palace with retail spaces and offices. It is notable for its architecture and history of a revolutionary advertising device.

On the site of today's building originally stood a two-story baroque corner house U Zlatého věnce. Here resided the Prague tailor and hatmaker Vendelín Mottl. Due to the frequented location at the junction of 28. října street and Jungmannovo náměstí, a modern building with large displays for new commerce was constructed. The project was undertaken by Karel Mottl, son of Vendelín and professor at the Prague School of Applied Arts. Construction was completed between 1905 and 1906.

The building combines elements of secessionism and renaissance architecture. It is a basement four-story structure with a ground floor and mansard roof. The construction is specific: the lower part is supported by pillars with iron beams, while the upper floors are brick-built. The layout consists of three two-winged wings surrounding a large atrium and staircase in the shape of an anchor. The exterior is adorned with rich secessionist stucco and sgraffito decoration. On the southern wall, there is a plaque with the name of the builder. In the ground floor, you can find monograms VM and KM on lattice metalwork, and at the height of the fourth floor, there is a stucco bust of Vendelín Mottl. In 1908 and 1913, Karel Mottl further modified the building, for example, by adding a spiral staircase connecting the floors.

The building was named after Vendelín Mottl, a tailor and textile entrepreneur. He operated a commercial house and tailor's salon here. Besides him, the Czech Graphic Union and Central Bank of Czech Savings also had their headquarters here. After 1948, the building was nationalized. It returned to private ownership only after the Velvet Revolution in 1989. This was followed by a long period of disuse. This ended with an extensive reconstruction completed in 2019, which respected the original form of the structure.

An important technical feature was the pneumograph. Installed in 1914 into the upper window space of the facade facing Ferdinandova třída, this electromechanical device was designed by technician František Janeček, founder of the Jawa factory. It allowed for creating white text and graphics on a black background. This was a revolutionary alternative to contemporary advertisements painted directly onto facades. Among the tenants of this space were companies such as Laurin & Klement, photographic studio F. Vojta, wine chocolate manufacturer A. Maršner, commercial house J. Novák, or image magazine Český svět. The device was also used for advertising football match results. However, its further development was halted by the outbreak of World War I.

The building has been protected as a cultural monument since 1958. Thanks to recent reconstruction, it represents an authentic example of the development of modern architecture and commercial palaces in the early 20th century in the center of Praha 1.

Mottlův dům is a valuable testament to Prague's commercial boom and technical progress of its time. We recommend visiting it during a stroll through Nové Město and paying attention to details on its facade.