Stocks rising for opulent events

Whichever way you look at it, it’s hard to imagine a prettier place to buy and sell stocks and shares

– it seems far too beautiful for filthy lucre! Which is why the Vienna Stock Exchange was moved out, and the magnificent trading rooms in this monumental building on the Ringstrasse boulevard are now available for you to use.

For six years architects Theophil von Hansen and Carl Tietz worked tirelessly on this Neo-Renaissance masterpiece, which was completed in 1877. Oceans of marble, acres of stucco, forests of columns and no end of space. The best place for press conferences, presentations or cocktail receptions.

And a concert venue with acoustics as pure as this Temple of Mammon is a rare thing indeed. Anyone who wants to give their guests a real culinary treat can either use the excellent inhouse catering, or alternatively commission the services of their own caterers. We know which we would choose!

Capacities

50 – 480 people

Construction style

Viennese Neo-Renaissance

Festsaal228380274
Festsaal mit Arkaden276450348
Roter Saal8412090
Maria Theresien Saal606070

Business & pleasure

Where stock brokers once met

It’s difficult to envisage there being a better place to host a business event than in the former stock exchange building. Although the Vienna Stock Exchange has been relocated, it has left its mark on the spaces it once occupied. Perfect for lifestyle events, business lunches, award ceremonies and presentations.

These heavenly halls

Anyone lucky enough to experience a concert in the Festsaal will treasure the memory for years to come. The high ceilings not only create excellent acoustics, they also ensure there is plenty of fresh air if things get heated on stage. The Wiener Börsensäle are also perfect for dancing. The opulent interiors and effect lighting make the venue ideal for private parties and functions. It is also perfect for other special occasions such as christenings.

Tales from the Vienna Stock Exchange

“Hopefully this heat will fire up the trading activities,” said Empress Maria Theresa at the official opening of the stock exchange building in 1761. It was a hot August day.

State rooms

Take the party to the trading floor

Festsaal

Columns, stucco, capitals, red velvet and plenty of space for the upwardly mobile – the ceilings in the Festsaal are an impressive 13 metres high, meaning that the air is always clear. Anyone who attends a function, meeting or conference in this space is certain to leave on a high. The eye-catching effect lighting adds a touch of contemporary cool to the Neo-Renaissance interiors.

Roter Saal & Maria Theresien Saal

Nothing could be more typical of Vienna than the notorious chambre separée – and we have two of them, although ours are decidedly modest. Both rooms can be used as an extension of the Festsaal, for an opulent buffet, an informal chat over coffee or even a quick trip to the bar.

Tales from the Vienna Stock Exchange

All the decorative facade elements and sculptures from the fire-ravaged stock exchange building were cast in plaster and moved to the Leopoldinischer Wing of the Hofburg for safe keeping.

Our Catering

Dreaming of fine dining?

Free choice of catering partners

In the Börsensäle, the indicators could not be better for fans of the finer side of life. You can put your epicurean portfolio in the hands of our in-house catering team led by chef de cuisine Martin Berger and savour the lightness of his approach which brings out the very best in the very best ingredients. Afterwards, we recommend a selection of pastries from the Café Central patisserie.

Alternatively, you can appoint your own caterer. We will provide the ideal spaces for your needs including a fully-equipped catering kitchen.

Tales from the Vienna Stock Exchange

Construction costs started to spiral out of control. But Theophil von Hansen simply dipped into his own private funds to stay true to his vision!

Directions & Contact

Right on the Ringstrasse

The Börsensäle are located inside a striking red brick building on Vienna’s showpiece Ringstrasse boulevard in the first district. Set off here aboard a tram for a whistle-stop tour of virtually all of the capital’s most impressive landmarks. Or simply stroll through the historic old town. Our local hotel partner, the elegant Hilton Vienna Plaza, is just around the corner.

In short walking distance

For organisers

Deliveries for your event, in the loading bay:
Börsegasse 4, 1010 Vienna

For guests

Event entrance Wipplingerstraße 34, 1010 Vienna

Pick-up points can also be set up for coaches

Architecture

Theophil von Hansen – Doric delights

Heinrich von Ferstel was beside himself: after all the work he had put into designing the new stock exchange building on the Ringstrasse, he felt the job had his name on it. But the commission went to the Danish architect Theophil von Hansen and his colleague Carl Tietz instead. Hansen created an exceptional masterpiece in what he fondly referred to as the “Viennese style” – aka Neo-Renaissance

Hansen lived and worked in Athens for eight years, so it is hardly surprising that he developed a weakness for Doric and Corinthian columns, capitals and heavily ornamented facias.

And for doing things on a monumental scale! The trading floor was really striking. After a major fire in 1956 it was converted into a beautiful courtyard. The Festsaal, which survives to this day, has 13-metre-high ceilings, making it the ideal venue for events. After all, guest appreciate a sense of space. The stucco work and wood panelling are a sight to behold.

Hansen was a stickler for details and, with the costs of his obsessive eye rising all the time, he dug into his own pocket to keep the project afloat.

Other well-known buildings by Theophil Hansen in Vienna: Arsenal, Parliament, Musikverein, Academy of Fine Arts.

Style & history

1771

The Vienna Stock Exchange is set up under Empress Maria Theresa’s government, initially as a state institution.

1860

The Vienna Stock Exchange is granted financial autonomy.

1871

Planning permission granted and start of construction work under the aegis of the Danish architect Theophil von Hansen. Hansen’s obsessive eye for detail delays the project and costs start to spiral. The bank committee repeatedly calls for savings, but Hansen remains true to his design, covering a portion of the costs himself.

1877

The Vienna bourse moves from its temporary home having left Palais Ferstel a year earlier, and takes up residence on Schottenring. On 14 March the new stock exchange building is officially opened by Emperor Franz Joseph I.

1956

The opulent 1,440m² trading hall – the heart of the building – is gutted by a fire. As vital parts of the building survived and the facade was unscathed, the Vienna Stock Exchange Chamber decided to rebuild it on the original site. Although it remained the same from the outside, the building’s interior now featured a large courtyard in place of the majestic trading floor. The wing leading to Börseplatz is renovated and the state room inside used for events.

2000

The Karl Wlaschek Private Foundation acquires the stock exchange building with the purchase of Österreichische Realitäten-AG.

2001

The Karl Wlaschek Private Foundation sets up Palais Events Veranstaltungen GmbH as an operating company, with Wiener Börsensäle as its first member.

2011

Palais Events joins the Österreichische Verkehrsbüro Group.