Architect Karel Hubáček was born 90 years ago

Prague - The Czech Republic was given one of its most original architectural works by architect Karel Hubáček, who was born 90 years ago, on February 23, 1924, in Prague - the mountain hotel with a television transmitter on Ještěd. The visionary architect was one of the key figures in Czech architecture in the second half of the 20th century, and his work gave much to contemporary architecture as well. He was also one of the founders of the famous studio Sial, which produced a number of outstanding Czech architects. He passed away in November 2011 at the age of 87.
    The elegant conical shape of Ještěd earned Hubáček the Auguste Perret Prize in 1969. The hyperboloid standing 94 meters tall uniquely combines the functions of a transmitter, hotel, and restaurant. The jury at that time stated that the work stands out for its clarity and the fortunate harmony with which it connects to the surrounding landscape. Both experts and laypeople are still captivated by the way the building enhances the silhouette of the 1012-meter-high mountain. The transmitter was declared a Czech building of the 20th century by the magazine Architekt and a national cultural monument.
    Among other realized buildings by Hubáček are the already demolished Ještěd shopping center in Liberec, a bank on Frýdlantská street in Liberec, the interior of the Naivní divadlo in Moscow street, a municipal cinema in Doksy, a cultural house with a concert hall in Teplice, a water supply balancing tower in Prague's Dívčí hrady, and a meteorological tower in Prague-Libuš.