Cafe Savoy, Brno

Café Savoy, a prominent and historically significant establishment in Brno, holds a special place in the city's café culture. The building, completed in the late 1920s, is a landmark in Brno's interwar architectural landscape. Designed by the functionalist architect Jindřich Kumpošt, the café was a reflection of the rapid development of Brno during the 1920s, a period marked by a flourishing social scene centered around such venues.

Café Savoy's ambitious design featured a steel and ferro-concrete structure, with a central riveted steel pillar allowing for a spacious, open interior with large window openings. This created an airy, light-filled space that blended seamlessly with the outside, especially when ground-floor windows were fully opened in summer. A standout feature was the advanced ventilation system, including a cloakroom with an elevator to the basement, ensuring fresh, odor-free air.

The interior of Café Savoy was luxurious, with travertine paneling on the ground floor, an onyx-clad imperial staircase, plush carpeting, and elegant lighting. The first floor, which housed a gaming room, kitchen, and restrooms, was equally opulent, with plush-covered walls and furniture designed for comfort and refinement. Music, whether live or broadcast through a radio system, added to the café's vibrant atmosphere.

However, the café underwent significant changes after World War II when the interior was repurposed into a clothing store, and many of its original furnishings were lost. It wasn't until a major reconstruction in 2008 that the café's function was restored, though the new interior, while respectful of its history, could not fully recapture the original architectural and technical brilliance that made Café Savoy a standout example of interwar café culture in Brno.