Mountain-top Hotel and Television Transmitter Ješt by Matejicek
The hotel and transmitter on the top of Mountain of Ještěd belongs to the top attractions in Northern Czechia, and I visited it many times already. Reaching the summit of Ještěd by the cable car (or by walk, or by car to the nearby parking lot) is my usual half-day trip during almost every visit to the town of Liberec (in the case of good weather, of course). Other interesting places in Liberec are the main square with the huge neo-gothic municipal hall, and also both Botany and ZOO gardens.
The Ještěd Mountain is of volcanic origin, and from the orographical point of view, it is a single Mountains separated from its geological neighbors. The conically shaped transmitter on the top fits perfectly to the extinct volcano and surrounding landscape.
The hotel & transmitter represents one of the most valuable modern architecture of the second half of 20th Century in the former Czechoslovakia, and its so-called “Brussels” influences are clearly visible. The “Brussels style” was important school of design and architecture based on the Czechoslovakian contribution to the EXPO exhibition in Brussels, 1958.
I have never been accommodated in the hotel, but I usually go for lunch to the restaurant located in the round basement (PHOTO), which is an open circular space made from glass & steel.
I am maybe a little bit biased concerning this nomination, but I would be really happy if this beautiful iconic building becomes WHS in the future. However, I cannot articulate its OUV. As concerns the transmitters, another one that I also like is directly in Prague, and it was built in 70s.
All in all, I am really curious how the justification of OUV of Ještěd and its comparative analysis will look like.