HOUSE NO. 280
Introduction
After the great town fire in 1873, the house was rebuilt according to a design by master carpenter Franz Schmidt, who submitted his project to the town on 18 June 1873. The reconstruction followed earlier structural elements and respected the original urban layout of the building.
A major transformation took place in 1913. The then owner, Theresie Hammer, decided to convert the house into a prestigious hotel and restaurant named “Zum Weissen Löwen” (The White Lion). The building thus acquired a new representative function reflecting the spa and social importance of Jáchymov at that time.
Reconstruction in 1913
The renovation project was entrusted to the well-known architect Max von Loos from Teplice. He opted for a bold modernization of the façade in the spirit of late Art Nouveau, yet expressed in a highly simplified and personal style.
The original three ground-floor windows were replaced by three wide windows connected by a single portal. This new portal was significantly broader and unified all the windows into one architectural composition. The windows were framed by half-columns with cubic capitals decorated with leaf motifs. Their upper parts took the form of cubes adorned with vegetal ornamentation.
The façade was conceived in a late Art Nouveau style. However, the typical ornamental decoration was markedly flattened and simplified. The decoration appeared almost planar, giving the building a restrained and modern appearance.
Alterations in 1920
The last major modification took place in 1920, when one of the ground-floor windows was replaced by an entrance portal with a Baroque-inspired archivolt, an arched framing element surrounding the doorway.
The original tent roof was replaced with a mansard roof, allowing for residential use of the attic space. The building was complemented by a cornice gable. A prominent cornice terminated the wall and supported the roof structure, enhancing the representative silhouette of the house.
Modern use
In modern times, the building housed the Czechoslovak State Savings Bank (before 1989), later a private gynaecological practice and a travel agency.
In the 1980s, an insensitive modernization took place, which largely determined the present appearance of the house and diminished part of its historical architectural value.
