Palác U Kočků, Cultural monument in Old Town, Prague, Czech Republic

Palác U Kočků is a house in Old Town between Old Town Square and Charles Bridge, combining three distinct architectural styles within its walls. Romanesque, Renaissance, and Baroque elements overlap in the building, showing how it was rebuilt and expanded over many centuries.

First mentioned in the 14th century, the house retains Romanesque cellar fragments and Gothic masonry up to the second floor. A late-16th-century Renaissance rebuild added a two-arm staircase and arcaded loggias; in 1736 Prince Mannsfeld had the arcades walled up and stuccoed, with Bartolomeo Scotti as builder. The third floor and street facade date from the early 19th century.

The name U Kočků dates only from 1927, when the Kočka couple bought the house, had it renovated between 1927 and 1930 and added the new name to the facade. Older names include U Zlatého kříže, U zlatých křížů and Červený dům, the last after the red colour of the main facade.

The house stands at the corner of Jalovcová, Jilská and Karlova streets, with the main six-axis facade facing east and a ten-axis side facade onto Karlova. Entry is through a massive portal with double doors; the small rectangular courtyard lies inside. The building now operates as a hotel, so interiors are accessible mainly to guests.

The name U Kočků dates only from 1927, when the Kočka couple bought the house, had it rebuilt between 1927 and 1930 and added the new name to the facade. Confiscated in 1953, it was returned to their descendants in 1992 and then converted into a hotel.