They want to restore two hotel rooms at Ještěd to their original state

Liberec - Bar Avion in the mountain hotel and transmitter Ještěd is slowly returning to its original form from the 1970s, when the building was completed. This year, the original appearance is also expected to return to two hotel rooms, said Petr Šmaus from Ještěd company, which operates the hotel and restaurant, today. The company is collaborating with Czech Radiocommunications, the owner of the unique building, and also with the association Ještěd 73 on the restoration of the interiors. It invests hundreds of thousands of crowns annually into the modifications, but the Liberec Region, the city of Liberec, and several donors are also contributing.
    "Initially, we had assumed that we would be able to complete the Avion bar by the end of last year, but everything has been delayed,” said Milena Lánská, chairwoman of the Ještěd 73 association, to ČTK. The first phase cost 595,000 crowns, but the association still needs 328,000 crowns to complete the restoration. The Liberec Region has already promised support, which has allocated 100,000 crowns in its budget for Ještěd. The public has the opportunity to contribute through a fundraiser on Katalyzátor, where nearly 83,000 crowns have already been raised out of the target amount of 130,000 crowns. "The fundraiser ends on March 26, and if we do not reach the target amount, the money will be returned to the donors,” she added.
    Only the bar counter remains from the original Avion bar; the bar stools, armchairs, and tables have to be made anew. The association is collaborating with the author of the original furnishings - architect Otakar Binar. Today, visitors could see the replica of the original illuminated bar table for the first time. There will be three in the bar, and they will differ from the original ones - the tabletop is illuminated with modern LED lighting. "That table really pleased me; originally there was a light bulb, which was visible, and in addition, the bulb is a light and heat source. It’s wonderful that this light is cool,” remarked Binar.
    However, smaller changes will also occur in the restored hotel rooms compared to the original design, said Šmaus. The original furniture will be preserved, but beds will be larger, and instead of the original single beds, Binar proposed more practical double beds. This way, there will be no unpleasant gaps between mattresses, which guests complained about in the original beds. The restoration of the rooms is being funded by the Ještěd company. The rooms are also expected to receive authentic wallpapers and carpets. However, the color scheme will change. "The original rooms had dark furniture, but one of the rooms will have light furniture,” Šmaus added.
    The Ještěd hotel and transmitter has been serving since 1973 and is one of the most original architectural works in the Czech Republic. The building is a national cultural monument and was voted the Czech building of the 20th century. The Liberec Region is striving to include Ještěd on the UNESCO heritage list. The hotel and transmitter have been owned by Czech Radiocommunications since 2000, who acquired Ještěd for 85 million crowns. More than 50 million crowns have been invested in its repairs since then. The restoration plan has been approved, and the next step will be the preparation of project documentation. "The repair costs will not be small; they are estimated in the tens and rather hundreds of millions of crowns,” said financial director Vít Vážan to reporters.