A stylishly pure and exceptional location for a film set in the 1930s – and it’s just an hour and 15 minutes drive from Prague. The interiors feature furnishings and details based on the originals, right down to the light switches. The town hall administration is amenable to filming in the premises and already looks forward to working with the first film crew.
Photo: M. Bajer
You can find this magnificent architectural gem on Mirove namesti in Jablonec nad Nisou. Karl Winter’s architectural design from 1930 was influenced by Functionalism as well as Gothic and Renaissance Italian town halls.
Stylish purity down to the last detail
The interiors of the four-story building were renovated between 2016 and 2020, and now feature replicas of the original furnishings designed by Winter. The thoroughness of the renovation, the purity of style, and the spirit of the 1930s are evident here, from the floors and furnishings to the lighting, right down to such details as replicas of the original light switches.
From the entrance hall, views open onto spacious corridors. A grandiose staircase with stone tiles leads to the second floor, where there are three interconnecting meeting rooms.
Photo: J. Jiroutek
Original historical spaces conceal modern technology
The large meeting hall, measuring 20.5 x 8.5 m, has a double-height ceiling, and features a public gallery and an overall ceiling height of 7.1 m. At the end of the hall, the wall is decorated with a relief with motifs of Jablonec industry, glassmakers, and the town emblem by Karl Winter and sculptor Franz Hub.
The hall has regained its historical appearance with the renovation in 2018, but it now features modern technology that is mostly concealed – only the speakers are visible.
The two adjacent meeting rooms, each measuring 8.3 x 6.5 m with 3 m high ceilings, were renovated in 2016-2017. The historical oval table that dominates meeting room no. 201 is illuminated by a 24-bulb chandelier with bronze arms with a diameter of 180 cm.
Replicas of furnishings designed by architect Winter
The new custom-made table in meeting room 203 is based on Winter’s original designs, as are the upholstered chairs with armrests.
Photo: J. Jiroutek
Both meeting rooms were returned to the appearance they had at the time of the town hall’s construction. And they are also equipped with modern technology, which are hidden here, for example, in a replica historical clock cabinet.
We stay in the 1930s even after leaving the meeting rooms – in the corridor, you’ll find the unusual and functional paternoster elevator, renovated from 2019-2020.
Observation tower and cinema
The stairs of the town hall tower lead up to the observation room with a gallery. Above the observation room, the tower interior houses transmitting equipment, and in the attic is the engine room of the paternoster.
On the first floor of the building there is a ceremonial hall measuring 13 x 8.3 m with original doors and scuncheons and furnished with modern furniture. Its foyer opens onto a large balcony overlooking the square.
In the basement is the Radnice (Town Hall) Cinema, last renovated in 1970 into a 70mm cinema with six-channel sound and a seating capacity of 439.
The other areas of the building are used as City Hall offices and are closed to filmmakers.
Film shoots made easy
For filmmakers, the Jablonec Town Hall is valuable not only for its art historical qualities, but also for the level of comfort it offers during filming. It is easily accessible: from Prague – it’s reachable in just an hour and 15 minutes by car.
There is a large parking lot 200 meters from the building, part of which can be – with due permission – reserved for the crew. By agreement, it is possible to place an aggregate by the town hall building and temporarily use a smaller parking lot right next to the building, which is used by the municipality.
Of course, there is drinking water and electricity in the building. There are 220V connections in all indoor areas and 220V and 380V connections in the courtyard.
In addition to the paternoster, there is also a modern elevator in the west wing accessible from the Radnice Cinema.
The town hall’s location in the city center offers filmmakers a wide range of options for accommodation in local hotels and dining in numerous restaurants.
Photo: M. Bajer
Mseno Reservoir, Glassworks, and Petrin
The detached four-winged building of the New Town Hall with its multi-sided tower dominates the centermost of the three cascading squares, with the Upper Square dominated by the church and the Lower Square by the library, the former town hall building. Reconstruction of the facade was completed in 2019.
Situated right in the middle of the city is the Mseno Reservoir, a system of three interconnected water reservoirs nicknamed the “Jablonec Sea”. Also in the city are the Museum of Glass and Jewellery with its distinctive atypical glass annex in the shape of a crystal and multiple glassworks. One of the dominant features of Jablonec nad Nisou is the Petrin Observation Tower.
Several feature films and documentaries have been filmed in Jablonec, but we have not been able to find out whether any of them were filmed in the town hall itself. It’s quite possible that you and your project will be the first to capture the beauty of the reconstructed Jablonec Town Hall on film.
Contact for filming in the Liberec Region:
Liberec Film Office, Monika Filova (filova.monika@magistrat.liberec.cz, +420 485 243 588)