When we look back, we often judge periods and events from the end result. E.g. the Star Wars prequels are pointless because everyone knows who the annoying brat named Anakin turns into. With communism it's similar. We know it failed. We know people were waiting in lines to get bananas. We have seen pictures of the post communist, downtrodden cities. Consequently, we assume, that communism was a big fluke from the start and the West always lightyears ahead on wealth and progress.

This is a view that doesn't reflect history. In the 50s, people were genuinely scared of the Soviets. And it wasn't just about the nukes they had. Or the different worldview. The Soviets put a man into space first, quite a technical achievement. This triggered the Sputnik Crisis in the late 50s/early 60s where the West was playing catch up.

When we think about communist architecture we either see the Stalinist buildings, e.g. the Palace of Culture and Science in Warsaw or the Seven Sisters in Moscow. Or ugly concrete apartment complexes (German Plattenbau) found all across Eastern Europe, e.g. Berlin Marzahn or Halle Neustadt. Ironically, there are also Plattenbaus in Western Germany (in Hamburg alone I can name several areas), but that never got the same "failed state" narrative.

Jested is interesting as it presents a post Stalinist, communist architecture vision, a vision that also managed to score a Pritzker prize in the West. From the pictures, you get a good impression: This is modern architecture, it has not been purely for functionality and it has a distinct, non Western aesthetic. The most striking difference though is how the hotel was planned. In the West, you would have turned this into a luxury hotel with a pricey restaurant. In Communist Czechoslovakia, meanwhile, they build a hotel with shared bathrooms, simple, but efficient, for group visits. 

I visited for a few hours. I took the cable car up, stopped at the viewing platforms and went around the tower once. Then I went in and got a table in the restaurant (first floor). The kitchen wasn't yet open and they only serve breakfast in the less nice bistro (ground floor). But they managed to serve me a soup, a pancake and a coffee. The interior is somewhat stuffed and while they have polished it a bit, it's still a simple design.

The hotel itself is not accessible without reservation. It would be nice to see, but it seems to sell out fast. Also, being stuck on the hill, there really isn't that much to do.

OUV

I can't really judge the importance of the architecture. However, I think there is room for post Stalinist, modern communist architecture on the list. A radio tower like Ještěd would be a nice addition, which is not just a technical construct, but also intended as a place to socialize. Side note: I am not sure why radio towers were important to communist states, but you find other fine examples in Berlin or Prague.

Getting To

Jested is a suburb of Liberec, a major Czech town. I came from Decin by train and left by train to Czech Paradise/Prague.

From Liberec train station Tram 3 runs directly to Horní Hanychov from where you can reach the cable car station on foot. Tickets for the tram can be bought on the tram or in tobacco stores. From Horní Hanychov it's a 15min walk to get to the cable car station. The cable car runs at least half hourly, but if there is enough demand it may run more often. I think you can get a combined train/cable car ticket, but not sure. I would calculate roughly 45min transfer time from the station and back. However, wait times for the cable car may vary.

While You Are There

Liberec is an uneventful city. Nearby is a Czech extension proposal to the already endlessly long list of Beech Tree Forests (T). I visited the Czech Paradise (T) region on my way to Prague. And via Usti nad labem you can reach Krupka, an Erzgebirge site.