The House of the Lords of Lipé is a building from the late 16th century, with many subsequent architectural modifications, and its façade facing náměstí Svobody provides a fascinating and captivating experience.
Also known as Schwanz House or Schwanz Palace, The House of the Lords of Lipé is one of the oldest surviving buildings in Brno. It was constructed between 1243 and 1260. The current name comes from the Moravian land governor, Čeněk of Lipé, who purchased the house in 1564 and owned it until 1587. In that year, it was exchanged for the house "U Červeného vola" (At the Red Bull) on the corner of Kobližná Street and náměstí Svobody and became the property of Kryštof Schwanz from Retz. The building was then significantly remodelled. The task of transforming the Gothic house into a three-storey Renaissance palace was entrusted to Antonio Gabri by Schwanz. The Italian sculptor Giorgio Gialdi designed the entrance portal and the two cylindrical bay windows, decorated with stone reliefs.
From 1818 to 1853, the palace was owned by Josef Edler von Hayek, who added another storey to the building in 1843. In 1882, architect August Prokop modified the street façade and raised the bay windows. At that time, the house belonged to Franz Komarek, and it became known as "Komarek Haus." Between 1937 and 1938, architect Bohuslav Fuchs, along with sculptor Antonín Zeithammer, further modified the façade, and painter and graphic artist Emanuel Hrbek contributed the sgraffito decoration. During the liberation battles of 1945, the palace was significantly damaged. The following year, only the most necessary repairs were carried out, and the house became state property for the next 43 years, serving as a storage facility for the neighbouring shopping arcade, Rozkvět.
This terraced, four-storey city house has a five-bay main façade facing náměstí Svobody. The outer bays are accentuated by rounded bay windows on the first and second floors, featuring rich Renaissance sculptural decoration. The window openings are rectangular, and the central axis is emphasised by pairs of coupled windows.
The Schwanz Palace, built on the site of the Gothic The House of the Lords of Lipé, is one of the most important architectural landmarks in Brno. It is a uniquely well-preserved example of a Renaissance urban palace, with intact plastic decoration and an arcade courtyard. In 2000, it was purchased and restored by Unistav. Since 2005, the house has been owned by Radim Jančura and now serves both commercial and cultural purposes. The ground floor houses a cultural and information centre, while the highest floor offers a viewing platform with panoramic views of the city.
