The lounge at Ještěd will return to its original form after 40 years

Liberec - The lounge at Ještěd will return to the form it had at the time of the opening of the mountain hotel and transmitter Ještěd after 40 years. The restoration of the lounge is being carried out in cooperation with the Civic Association Ještěd 73, the Ještěd company, and Czech Radiocommunications, as well as the original interior designer of the unique building - architect Otakar Binar. Although the restoration of the lounge is not the most urgent repair, it is a significant step towards preserving the original appearance of the monument, said Milena Lánská, chairwoman of the Ještěd 73 association, to ČTK today.
     The main focus of the renovation will be, according to Lánská, the restoration of the original table that has survived. Of the 15 white leather chairs that stood around the table at the time of the opening in 1973, only one has apparently been preserved, so the association must have replicas made. "According to preliminary estimates, the reconstruction of the lounge, the repair of the table, and the production of replicas will cost around 300,000 to 350,000 crowns. We hope to raise the funds from sponsors, private individuals, companies, and institutions. Everyone can get involved and contribute or donate to be part of the history of this unique building," added Lánská.
     The mountain hotel Ještěd is a Czech building of the century. The 94-meter-high hyperboloid combines the functions of a transmitter, hotel, and restaurant. The cornerstone of the building was ceremoniously laid in July 1966. Its author, Karel Hubáček, received the Perret Award granted by the International Union of Architects for the project in 1969. Both experts and laypeople are still captivated by the way the building enhances the silhouette of the 1012-meter-high mountain. The building, which has been a national cultural monument since 2006, will celebrate 40 years since its opening this July.
     The owner of the mountain hotel and transmitter has been Czech Radiocommunications (ČRa) since 2000, which acquired Ještěd for 85 million crowns. Since then, they have invested approximately 50 million crowns into its repairs. "Czech Radiocommunications supports all initiatives that contribute to the preservation of this unique cultural monument for future generations," said Martin Gebauer, executive director of ČRa. In recent years, according to him, Ještěd has been connected to the city sewer, and the laminate covering in places where the transmitters are located has been repaired. "Before us lies the reconstruction of access ramps, concrete railings, and façade elements," Gebauer added.