Groovy Interiors Inside a Czech Space Age Hotel

January 5, 2017

Last week we posted about the Ještěd Tower and several people immediately emailed us requesting that we create a post about the groovy interiors inside the Czech space age hotel built in a TV tower. As you learned from the previous post, the tower itself was designed by Czech architect, Karel Hubáček, however, he is not the only person responsible for this unusual work. Zdeněk Patrman did all of the stress-analysis work because this unusual building called for unusual building techniques, some of which were put into practice for the first time here.

The interior of the hotel was designed by Otakar Binar.

The architect Otakar Binar in the interior of Hotel Ještěd. Photo: Ota Bartovský, MAFRA.

Otakar made extensive use of glasswork (as you can see) as a testimonial to the traditional commodity of this region.

The history of the building as it stands now on the peak began in the year 1966, just three years after the first hotel which was built on Ještěd had burnt down.

The original Nový Ještědský Dům, which translates to New Ještěd House was opened in 1906. There was a lodge with a restaurant and an observation tower. This was long sought out by the German Mountain Club of Ještěd. The large structure was very modern at the time and because of it, the peak of Ještěd became more popular as a destination.

After the fire destroyed the structure, a new plan for the construction of two contemporary buildings; a television tower with a restaurant, and a small hotel.

A huge success and something very unique, the new project caught the attention of architects not only from the region, but also from abroad. In 1969, it was awarded the prestigious Auguste Perret Prize for technology applied to architecture. That year, the prize was awarded in Buenos Aires, although sadly, Karel Hubáček was unable to attend for political reasons.

The modern landmark of Ještěd opened on September 21, 1973 with a grand celebration and in 2013 the Ještěd mountain hotel celebrated its 40th anniversary. But during the period between 1973 and 2012, the building went through the hotel equivalent of the seven stages of grief, deteriorating from a shining jewel to a communist relic according to Milena Jánská, the director of Ještěd 73, a non-profit organization which has been dedicated to the restoration and preservation of the Hotel Ještěd and its award-winning tower.

Despite being only 44 years young, it has already swept up a host of awards and well-deserved titles: National Monument to Engineering, Building of the 20th Century, and the International Perret Award for Architecture. It has officially applied to be considered as a Unesco monument. Czech speakers may be interested in reading more of the history here.

This unusual and one-of-a-kind space age hotel was also the setting for the film Grandhotel (2006), a Czech movie that matched the grand landscape with the shabby chic interior of the hotel as its primary setting.

The characters wander in and out of scenes in the hotel which, as you know, is perched on a mountain and topped by a pointed weather tower.

The film is filled with dreamy and breathtaking panoramic views of the big blue sky, fluffy clouds, and we even peek at the city of Liberec below.

We even get to go into the tower to see Fleischman, who keeps himself busy practicing the art of meteorology.

Here is a trailer for the film:

For those who speak Czech, there is also a documentary about the making of the film which discusses filming in this location and some of the challenges they faced. You can watch that 15-minute documentary here.

But you asked for images of the inside of this strangely beautiful and isolated gem of a hotel, so here we go…

The first black and white series are historic photos from when they first opened their doors. As you’ll later see, the modern style has been kept up even today.

Now let’s take a look at the interiors of today.

The fun and groovy interiors include these iconic shaggy chairs which have become synonymous with the hotel.

The reviews state that the nightlife, cocktails and food is awesome – and with this kind of ambiance, we don’t doubt it.

Finally, we know you are dying to see the groovy interiors.

Typical of mid century modern design, most of all the wallpapers and chairs in the rooms fit the bill. Look inside and time travel to the space age future while peeking over the clouds through the aircraft-like windows.

This special hotel hosts one of the most breathtaking views in all of the Czech Republic, looking out into parts of Poland and Germany, and almost the entirety of what was once Bohemia. Therefore, we also think this may just be our personal favorite part of getting to and from the hotel.

We encourage you to read the reviews, see more photographs and even book your stay at a reduced rate now through TripAdvisor.

These fabulous groovy interiors most likely inspire a shagalicious Austin Powers party!

(For those interested, prices based on TripAdvisor run around US $105 per night.)

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