The original Liechtenstein Palace was converted into a theatre at the beginning of the 17th century, making it the oldest theatre building in Central Europe.
In the mid-14th century, the area of today’s Reduta was home to merchant houses. The plot at the corner of Zelný trh and Kapucínské náměstí has belonged to the Liechtenstein family since the second quarter of the 15th century, who later sold it to the Brno municipality. After 1600, a tavern was renovated and put into operation. This was the so-called New Tavern, later known as the Great Tavern, which the city offered as accommodation and dining for distinguished visitors. In 1634, the city bought an adjacent house, later called the “Small Tavern,” and after reconstructing and connecting it with the existing building, a one-storey corner complex with accommodation and dining spaces, as well as agricultural buildings and a large courtyard, was created—corresponding to the present-day Reduta.
The theatre productions began on 28th November 1733 in the so-called Theatre in the Tavern. Between 1734 and 1735, the building was reconstructed, raised by two storeys, and transformed into a new structure. In 1735, a decorative entrance portal was added, designed by stonemason František Stránský, featuring a relief coat of arms of Brno, complemented by sculptures. The building suffered from two fires, which occurred in 1785 and 1786. At the beginning of the 19th century, the heavily damaged building was used as a hospital and makeshift military barracks. The safety and operational standards of the 20th century required a technical reconstruction in the 1950s. In 1970, the historical basement of the Reduta was opened, and according to the design of Kamil Fuchs, a wine bar with a wine cellar, the Reduta Club, was established. The still unsatisfactory building, left unchanged, continued to decay until 1993, when it had to be closed due to its hazardous condition.
A radical reconstruction carried out between 2002 and 2005 transformed the interior of Reduta and opened long-hidden spaces that had only been used for technical purposes. The most noticeable changes are seen in the restoration of the Reduta hall, now called the Mozart Hall. Another change is the opening of the courtyard with arcaded galleries, where the transparent roof has created an internal covered atrium. Further changes include the opening of additional usable spaces, the emphasis on original masonry details, and, last but not least, the use of modern building materials conceptually combined with the original architecture. The culmination of this reconstruction was the painting decoration of the walls in Mozart’s Hall, the vaulted ceiling of the café, and the artistically designed terrazzo in the atrium, all created by artist Petr Kvíčala. The concept of integrating new modern elements that contrast with the historical structure was carried out by the firm – studio D.R.N.H., v.o.s.
