Thermal Hotel: Karlovy Vary brutalism in the starring role
Each year, Thermal Hotel serves as the main venue for organising the Karlovy Vary International film Festival, whose roots date back to 1946. The first year was organised in Mariánské lázně, and then started being held in Karlovy Vary a year later.
This is where the luxurious opening and closing ceremonies take place. Every year, stars not only from the silver screen, but also fans without which it would be hard to imagine the Karlovy Vary film festival, all gather at Thermal Hotel.
“Thermal Hotel is not a communist monstrosity, but rather one of the most important works of Czech architecture of the 1960s and 1970s,” claim the grandchildren of the Machonin couple.
Thermal Hotel was designed by Věra and Vladimír Machonin in 1963 to 1969 for the organisation of the film festival. The luxurious pool was opened to the public in 1976, with the complete launch of operation of the hotel a year later. Cooperation with important artists of the time, such as the Libeňský–Brychtová duo, René Roubíček, Miloslav Chlupáč and others, testifies to the hotel’s quality.
The combination of interior and exterior is exceptional. The sprayed concrete used on the façade moves seamlessly onto the surface of the walls in the hotel corridors. The large-format frameless windows are the only barrier between the interior and exterior. As concerns the interior, it is a luxurious example of contemporary design, into which the Machonin architects “imprinted themselves.”
What does the sixteen-floor iron-concrete hotel in functionalist style offer?
Thermal Hotel is 65 metres tall, and boasts 533 beds and 273 rooms. The congress centre offers a variety of uses, with a capacity of up to 2000 seats. The cinema was hold up to 2248 viewers, while three smaller screening rooms can contain 50 viewers. Another hall features 245 seats and the congress hall is for 300 people. There is also a congress hall and conference rooms.
Warm up with luxurious water from the hot spring
A great pastime, which is certainly a part of the Karlovy Vary spa town and the Thermal Hotel compound, is the heated pool. This unique feature contains water from the hot spring in which you can warm up beautifully.
Can you imagine the Karlovy Vary film festival without its icon, Thermal Hotel?
