Palais Fanto

Palais Fanto was built in 1917–18 by architects Ernst Gotthilf and Alexander Neumann for businessman David Fanto, who had become a millionaire with Galician oil springs. It was constructed during the last years of the Danube monarchy, and its heterogenous architectural configuration is characteristic of the time. The façade adheres to the neo-Classicism usual for monumental structures, while more intimate offices and meeting rooms integrate elements of Baroque and Rococo style. The western staircase, completely formed in marble, is resplendent. The material had allegedly been ordered for the expansion of the Emperor’s Hofburg palace, but after the end of the monarchy David Fanto was able to use it for his Palais. From 1922 onward, the head offices of the Austrian brandy monopoly, among other things, were located in Palais Fanto, until the inner spaces were remodeled. It now houses various residences and businesses. In 1998 the Arnold Schönberg Center, one of the most significant archives of an Austrian Composer, was opened in this building.