Hotel Continental**** Brno

Built in the early 1960s, the Continental Hotel was designed by the architects Zdeněk Řihák, Vladimír Kovařík, and Alois Semela and reflects the avant-garde artistic movement known as the Brussels style. 

The hotel, constructed between 1961 and 1964, is notable for its height (15 storeys, which allows it to meet the accommodation needs with 124 single rooms and 108 double rooms. It was the first time in the region that high-pressure ventilation and heating systems were used in the rooms. The location chosen for the hotel had previously been cleared to make way for new developments in the centre of Brno; situated between Veveří and Lidická streets, it had been the site of the oldest working-class dwellings in the Austro-Hungarian monarchy. This was also the location where the stonemason and sculptor Adolf Loos – father of the internationally renowned architect of the same name – had his house and workshop. 

The three-winged floor plan had a significant advantage: it allowed short corridors and double-sided rooms to connect to a single vertical hub, ensuring that all rooms were sunlit. The building, reminiscent of Le Corbusier’s style, was originally designed for standard tourist accommodation. The hotel was first called "Tempo", then "Brno", followed by "Sport", and finally, in 1963, it was named the Continental. It eventually became a luxury "Interhotel" for foreign guests, primarily serving as accommodation during the Brno Trade Fairs, when there was a need to provide ample lodging for the city's visitors. 

The hotel lobby is still one of the most beautiful examples of Brussels-style interiors in the Czech Republic. The dynamic spiral staircase, suspended in the centre of the lobby, is complemented by an almost invisible handrail made of delicate metal parts and glass panels. The entryway interior features striking triangular geometric segments on the ceiling, a motif that is repeated throughout the building. The artistic effect creates a harmonious whole, with the space being subtly toned in neutral tones of black, grey, and white complemented by dark blue accents. Natural materials, mainly wood, stone, and marble, are used for flooring and wall cladding. Transparent and coloured glass elements further enhance the overall impression, as do the artworks by renowned artists. 

In 2018, the latest phase of modernization was completed. The Continental Hotel has now been transformed into a modern city centre conference hotel, offering a full range of professional services and convenient parking. Due to its careful renovation and preservation of original architectural elements, the hotel has been listed as a historical building in the Czech Republic and has been a protected cultural monument since 2009.