<translation>Ještěd in the Cage 11 - Responses from the Judges</translation>

The jury of JFK#11 consisted of (from the left): David Kraus (Architektura s.r.o.), Jana Moravcová (Jana Moravcová architectural office), Pavel Joba (M1 architects), Petr Štefek (HOK Architects) and Martin Jančok (P-L-U-R-A-L).

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David Kraus

What reputation does the Liberec School have, in your opinion?
I've heard that it's an artistic, good, small community school.
Anything negative?
Sometimes students told me that the teachers are not always available, but from my experience at VŠUP, I know it's hard to be 100% available.
How did you feel in the jury?
The atmosphere was great. It always starts a bit cold until people get to know each other, but I think we understood each other. I noticed that the work here has an average high level, but I personally missed some extremes, something that stands out from the crowd. It's such that people don't err, but at the same time don't reach into the unknown. Maybe it's because of the community spirit of Liberec. The sweet atmosphere is not always motivating.
You have a lot of family houses and other buildings in the countryside; do you enjoy building in such a context?
The number of family houses is more coincidence. But from a distance, it is certainly appealing and romantic in the countryside, but on the other hand, it is not always the idyll that many people imagine; sometimes there's a stupid story behind it. Very personal. Just at the school in Hradišťko, it was not entirely okay on a human level. I live in a neighboring village, so personal misunderstandings were reflected in it.
What are you working on now?
We are currently working on something in Oman.
Is it harder to design in such a foreign environment?
It's brutally a different environment, of course. It’s harder in that you’re confused and not sure how you can behave there. But it's a great experience for me. Also due to the current antipathy towards Islam and the West, which I read a lot about and think a lot about.
You spent several semesters in Professor Šik's studio. Did it influence you in any way?
At that time, I felt that I had to resist everything, that I didn't want to be influenced by it. The older I get, the more I respect him, especially on a human level. Before, I didn’t see what I realize now, thank God I experienced it.
Would you like to say something in conclusion?
I think the most important thing at school is the journey, your personal story, not the price or recognition of teachers. At the end of the semester, someone could say “Great semester, I learned something” and it may not be visible in the results, we in the jury might not even notice it. Pavel Joba and I had a period at university where we worked hard and experienced it, and there was no recognition from it. Of course, we were terribly frustrated, but that’s not what life is about. Those who once won awards and got A's may no longer even do architecture today. It’s so relative that I always say I will never be in any jury again. The longer I do this job, the less I know about it.

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Jana Moravcová

Is this your first time in Liberec? What is your first impression, what caught your attention at first sight?
I'm not in Liberec for the first time, but I am at the Faculty. The first impression, which I was already prepared for, is this large hall. It confirmed for me that it's a big plus of your faculty, a common space, common work 24 hours a day, etc. Regarding the projects, after the introductory tour, I was concerned about how we would evaluate them; I was surprised at how many topics you are actually working on here.
Do you think there are many of them?
It seems to me that when every leader announces six topics, that's a lot. Not only for me as a juror who has to evaluate a hundred projects, but also from the studio management's point of view. One topic can go much deeper, students clarify something even in someone else's consultation; the projects support each other. At the same time, I think that even within one topic, each student can find their unique field.
Do you think that some studio has a distinct style or tendency?
Fránek is oriented towards the interdisciplinary, design, art, and so on. Then there is one urban studio, one studio that worked on the biennale, one for freshmen. The rest has blended together from this perspective.
Do you think it's good to have a studio here at the school that profiles itself like that?
Why not. Textiles seem to me a good topic for architects and definitely belong to Liberec. With food, I’m not so sure; it seems to me an unmet assignment, apart from one project, I missed architecturally related space in the designs. Overall, I was not convinced by the results of the studio.
I would like to stop by Hejl’s studio, which dealt with the biennale; what do you think about it?
A lot of work, plenty of material, but either they didn't tell us, or they really don't know what the biennale will look like. The topic is great. It might have been stronger not to break the topic into individual housing, but to highlight the scale of panel housing estates, both spatially and typologically and architecturally.
I would return more to you; I was interested in your competition project for the crematorium in Roudnice nad Labem. I also came across Ivan Kroupa's proposal for the same competition. You are an assistant in his studio at Uprum, so I expected there to be some similar stance, that I would recognize some like-minded thinking. But these projects are diametrically different in form and thought; what do you think is the reason for that? And it comes to my mind how it is to work with Kroupa?
Our concept was based on the path of the grieving person leading to the final farewell, on the fact that a person turns inward and does not want to be disturbed by impulses from the outside. Ivan designed the crematorium as an airship that lifts you to another world.
Interesting question. I started in his office over 10 years ago while still at school, now I have my office, but the intellectual kinship is still there. The fact that we each do our architecture does not mean that we do not understand each other at school. We agree quite a bit at school, not 100%, but it works. Unlike, for example, Jiří David with Milan Salák, who constantly oppose each other.
What are you currently working on?
Since I have a young office, I am building smaller things for private individuals - furniture, apartments, renovations, etc. I would like to gradually move from individual assignments to larger-scale, more typological tasks.
Would you like to say something in conclusion?
A drawback of the competition for me was the absence of students - the authors; I couldn't ask more when something was unclear to me or I wanted to know more. This relates to the fact that due to the number of projects and limited time, we couldn't go too deeply, so we certainly missed some super ideas and concepts that couldn't be uncovered.
A plus of your school is the complexity, in the process and presentation - banners, models, or portfolios. When I didn't understand something on the banner, I could look at the model, and vice versa. To that, I might highlight Radek's studio; I appreciated that the banners had a uniform and concise scheme, making it easy to navigate, great testimonial value.

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Pavel Joba

Is this your first time in Liberec? What are your first impressions?
I'm definitely not in Liberec for the first time, but I am here at school for the first time.
The large hall and all the happenings around it is a great model of a school. I heard stories about how everyone works together here, plays ping pong and football, and rides skateboards to the bathroom. I went through ČVUT when it was still in the old building, and then AVU. At both schools, we were completely separated. Here it seems to me that students function together. I don’t know if it’s because you’re outside the capital, or the size of the school. You’re not entirely small and not entirely large either; this seems ideal for architecture. So, I'm very pleased with this model.
Do you think there are any pitfalls, something we still need to work on?
That's more about teaching methodology, and it was visible in the project that received an award. This studio did one essential topic with a unified presentation form. I didn’t notice that with other studios, but I think that when the studio head chooses a unified topic and a unified form of presentation, it creates a strong synergy of designs, and the topic can continue to resonate in the school.
David Kraus and I studied for two semesters in Professor Šik's studio. He was strict in this and I think it benefited us. He always had one assignment, a uniform schedule, it was clearly stated what we had to submit, and the results were always great.
Don't you think that total unity can limit individuality?
Not at all; it's similar to school uniforms. It eliminates misunderstanding, and everyone focuses on content. Many people find decision-making easier and are more productive.
I found it interesting that your office is located at the Břevnov Monastery; how do you work there?
It actually happened by coincidence, but one always has to seek luck. A few years ago, we dealt with the revitalization of the gardens and the reconstruction of the Břevnov Monastery's orangery, and because the use was not entirely clear in a part of it, we used it to rent out our office. It was great that we had a connection with everything we proposed there.
It's wonderful to walk through the garden in the morning. And especially everything is completely filtered from the noise, and you can focus only on what you need.
You have quite a lot of work in the public sector ...
We graduated from school and had no connections to clients through our parents or friends, so we had no choice but to enter competitions and tenders. It's harder to get jobs in the public sector, but if you're patient and send out for competitions, one out of ten might succeed. We didn't have much other option.
Is it true that once you land a contract, it's easier to get another?
You learn on the projects; we got to work on several renovations of cultural monuments, so we gradually learned more about renovations and had more to offer. But every contract has to go through a tender, so obtaining a contract is still difficult.
Would you like to say something in conclusion?
I probably haven’t mentioned that I am pleased with the overall impression of your school. You are taking a simple Czech path here. We didn't find a single project in an international style for Dubai or Shanghai. It needs to be appreciated that it isn't like this here because it takes a certain level of self-denial, to give up part of your ego and not create for effect but for depth.

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Petr Štefek

You studied in Liberec; do you think the school has progressed since then?
It's definitely changed. I would say that the main shift is in the scale of the topics addressed. There have been fewer assignments that are typologically complicated and extensive in volume. I had the opportunity to see many smaller projects for neglected villages and towns. All these tasks have deep meaning in their regional context; the school thus fulfills its function as a creative workshop that is not burdened by short-term commercial interests. In another studio, I was impressed by an extensive analysis of residential construction. That undoubtedly enriched all the other students; I just hope to see its final statement soon. At the same time, I missed more radical experiments at the school, significant - perhaps immature gestures searching for something completely new. Simply topics that would positively confront the events in the world, perhaps provoke a little. The question is, of course, whether it makes sense to deal in Liberec with the problems of growing Asian metropolises, intensive construction in Arab deserts, or the changing behavior of urban dwellers influenced by mobile apps on their phones. I think it does make sense. Everything today is interconnected, so every new stimulus can enrich and expand the thinking about current topics even in a regional context. I think the school tries to motivate students to travel the world, adding this very important perspective in the best way. Many of my classmates - graduates have already returned and are successfully passing on their experiences.
I would also like to return to your studies in Liberec. If you could choose again, would you study in Liberec, or would you go elsewhere?
Back then at eighteen, one really didn't know what they were getting into. I checked Liberec in advance. We actually traveled together, but we smashed my friend's car on the way. I then arrived at school by hitchhiking around midnight. I was immediately immersed in that midnight atmosphere, discussions with students skating around the school; I saw others sleeping under tables. I felt that atmosphere again during the entrance exams. All this convinced me to study in a city where it's either uphill or it's raining. Of course, financial accessibility compared to the most expensive schools in the world played a role. However, in the Czech context, I think it's a well-equipped school that allows for frequent interaction with teachers due to its relatively small scale. This is associated with a personal atmosphere where everyone knows each other by name. I then expanded my horizon abroad, studying with Farshid Moussavi at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna, or doing internships in various studios in Switzerland and Austria. Schools located in European centers have of course the most current information, multicultural outreach, and are able to invest massively in lectures and their media presentation. All this is connected with greater financial demands. I think an attentive person can catch up a lot during well-chosen professional practice in studios outside these schools.
You work in a large office in London that has branches in several world cities and many employees; how is it to work in such a company?
In these large firms, projects are still worked on in smaller teams. Earlier, I had the opportunity to work on successful competition proposals directly with Norman Foster or Chris Wilkinson. In their vicinity and especially within my colleagues’ team - graduates from schools all over the world, I've probably gathered the most experience. However, I did suffer from the significant corporate hierarchy that didn't allow one to step completely against the flow of such a large machine's established system. Today, I am in HOK, where I received a lot of freedom and trust. Together with colleagues, I could start to play more and design a beautiful residential building in Fisher Street OSD for central London, whose underground will someday be traversed by trains of the Crossrail rail system. However, collaboration with people from different cultures is crucial in London, where everyone enriches the project and the people around them with something they brought from their home country. I think the Fisher Street building has something in it that I brought to London from the Czech Republic, from Central Europe.
Are you satisfied in London? Do you plan to return to the Czech Republic?
I am satisfied in London, but I don't feel this place as a definitive destination. This city is somewhat like a transit stop, a large airport hall where one meets amazing people from around the world, and at the same time feels that each of us will move somewhere further one day and leave the city. It's a place of continuous meeting and parting. I’ve actually been planning to return for several years, but I am quite satisfied professionally here, which is what keeps me here. Many things in the Czech Republic, as I perceive them through the media, certainly frighten me. At the same time, however, I increasingly realize the immense values we still have. Every visit thus affects me very emotionally; I’m always enchanted by the open and still passable landscape, our organically grown towns and villages. I admit that in an environment that is so dear to me, I also find it very easy to fall in love with someone. I also have a slight feeling that I no longer belong to one place today. My Italian friend once shared an office next to Jan Kaplický and told me that after every return from Prague, he constantly talked about the Czech Republic. When she asked him why he didn't return, he was silent for a long time. I have a feeling that I observe something like this in many people who occasionally buy a plane ticket to the Czech Republic. And I buy one more and more often ...
Do you have a dream project, something you always wanted to try?
I don't think so. Definitely not in the form of some grand project. Simply put, I tested the largest projects on this planet because of my bosses right after school. Right now, we have a study on the table that may transform the infrastructure of a significant world metropolis for the coming centuries. Paradoxically, I somewhat miss the intimacy of smaller projects. Personal contact with clients whom I can meet every other day on the street and thus know something about their lives. I had the opportunity to experience it in Petř’s studio, and I see it now with many friends who have established their small studios. Simply experiencing architecture right at the place of its origin. My truly great ambition is to communicate well through my work, to stimulate dialogue and thereby enrich the environment around us with diversity, which then leads to greater tolerance and openness among people. I see how many of my talented colleagues in the Czech Republic literally fight against human ignorance, quick short-term gains, sometimes perhaps even plain stupidity. The free hand of the market can be very dangerous in architecture if we stop using our heads and hearts as well. If I ever manage to contribute to the development of more towns and places like Litomyšl in the Czech Republic today, I would certainly be happy. It wouldn't be about designing a specific house for me but about supporting an environment where good things can arise.

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Martin Jančok

Is this your first time in Liberec?
I was here for the first time six or seven years ago at the invitation of Martin Hejl, who organized a series of lectures here.
What are your impressions of Liberec?
My first impression was, and basically still remains, that Liberec is a good model of a school. Studios are functioning here, the individual years are in contact and can learn from each other, there is the gymnasium ... that creates a community that creates and influences each other. It seems that it works. When I studied in Bratislava, we didn't have this option at all; after lectures, we went home.
Do you think it really works that way, that the common studio and common work somehow reflects in our designs?
When we talked about it, I expressed the hypothesis that it has to do with the fact that there is a general character of work, and there are no overly shouting or distinctive ones. I perceive it as a quality that a stable level is being created here. I think it relates to the fact that students function as one team, communicate with each other, and do not need to show each other who is better. It's good that it works this way.
On the contrary, can you think of anything that’s not exactly perfect, something we still need to work on?
Well, maybe that Liberec is a relatively small city; the same people are here, and there's not a big choice. At school, I think it's good when one goes through various things, trying different approaches ... it's not ideal to spend the entire school in one studio.
Since we already mentioned Martin Hejl, what do you think of his studio, which this semester dealt with the Czech exposition at the biennale?
From what we've seen, they have an incredible amount of work behind them, with which it's still not entirely clear how to proceed. It was difficult to evaluate; from the presented material, we couldn’t assess the students' performances in any way. I know Martin, I know what he does, and I believe he can enrich the school with the experiences and approaches he has from abroad.
You coincidentally participated in the quite successful Czechoslovak exposition at the Biennale in 2008. What do you think was the reason for your success?
I have an ambivalent attitude toward it. On one hand, I have a problem with the idea that the content behind our proposal lacks sufficient depth, on the other hand, it is digestible, easy, and that works at the biennale. When someone spends a day, two, three there, moving from one pavilion to another, a clear, understandable idea pleases them. But I wouldn't overrate our proposal too much.
Would you like to say anything in conclusion?
I wish you good luck.