The materials for the reconstruction of Ještěd should be ready within two years

Liberec - All necessary documentation for the reconstruction of the mountain hotel and transmitter on Ještěd in Liberec should be completed within two years. The restoration of this national cultural monument is estimated to cost 200 million crowns. Investment is required for both technological and construction components, with the biggest challenges being in air conditioning and cladding. Tomáš Sova from Czech Radiocommunications stated this to journalists today. The company owns one of the most original architectural works in the Czech Republic.
According to Sova, Radiocommunications currently do not know how the restoration will be funded. They are trying to obtain a grant from the state or from European funds. "Negotiations have begun and are being conducted intensively," he said. President Miloš Zeman also promised assistance during a recent visit to the Liberec region.
Sova now considers the preparation of project documentation to be essential. "If it is not done, we will not move forward," he said. The project will involve not only Czech Radiocommunications but also the hotel operator and the Liberec region as members of the Ještěd 73 association. They will jointly invest five million into it. Geodetic surveying, structural technical, and architectural historical surveys will precede the creation of the project documentation. "Ještěd is exceptional, and we cannot use standard processes for several procedures. From a construction standpoint, it is a unique object. So some of these surveys will take longer than is normally expected," Sova added.
Today, the official sale of the publication "Memories of Ještěd" began. Students captured memories of people who contributed to the creation of the hotel and transmitter in it. According to Sova, the witnesses can also help with the restoration of the monument. "There are numerous technical and operational issues to resolve, and the memories of these experts are invaluable to us. Of course, we are drawing from them," he stated. For instance, architect Otakar Binar is assisting in restoring the original appearance of the interiors.
In a survey, people chose the hotel and transmitter Ještěd as the Czech Building of the 20th Century. It is estimated that over half a million people visit it each year. The Liberec region is striving to have Ještěd listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Czech Radiocommunications acquired the hotel and transmitter for 85 million crowns in 2000, purchasing it in not very good condition from a former owner who was in bankruptcy. Since then, they have invested more than 50 million crowns into repairing the building. The laminated cladding has undergone partial restoration, windows have been replaced, and the facility has been connected to the public sewer system.