Modern interpretation

Written by: Štěpánka Strouhalová
Photo by: Věroslav Sixt

The Carlo IV Hotel thrills people with its refined luxury, as well as the pleasantly stark contrast of a reconstructed, historically valuable building and an uncompromisingly modern addition.

New York architect A.D. Tihany designed the bar in a modern eclectic style,
with an original silver structure hiding the backroom facilities.
He has preserved the original Doric columns in illuminated ashlars.

A five-star hotel with 149 rooms arising from the reconstruction
of the neo-Renaissance Hypoteční banka palace of 1894,
supplemented by a new six floor building in the courtyard.


A newly-built 18-meter long swimming pool in the style of an antique spa respects the neo- renaissance character of the building.	Czech architecture studio DaM conceived of the addition as a simple ashlar containing a prominent glass facade covered with a green leaf motif.

The interior of the rooms were designed by Italian architect M. Pappiri
in typical southern European historic style.

Marble bathroom in the presidential suite, located in what
was originally the bank director’s apartment.

from the outside
Gabriela Horáková
general director, Hotel Carlo IV. Which part of the hotel do the clients prefer?
It’s impossible to generalize. The younger guests prefer the modern part, while the older clients appreciate the unique charm of the neo-renaissance building. And then there is another group of architecture connoisseurs who like them both, and who welcome the unusual solution – an especially aggressive combination of both styles.

from the inside
Petr Malinský
architect, DaM studio

What was the hardest technical nut to crack in changing the function of the building?
The biggest problem was “invisibly” interfering with the historical structure; to get all the infrastructure necessary for functional hotel rooms into what was originally office space, and in a way that was invisible to the eye. Or, for example, to build a four-floor addition upon the roof of the existing bank hall so that no new bearing structures would visibly penetrate the historical interior. What was also difficult was digging out a large enough space for the antique spa in what was originally a boiler room, and building two new basements, for technical equipment and a garage, under the historical brick structure.