Architecture Week Prague 2014

The eighth annual international festival of architecture and urbanism Architecture Week Prague 2014 will take place, under the patronage of the President of the Czech Republic, Mr. Miloš Zeman, at the Jiřská Monastery at Prague Castle and other locations in Prague from September 15 to October 12, 2014. Traditionally, it is organized in collaboration with the Administration of Prague Castle by the Czech Architecture Week company. The main theme of this year is architectural heritage and icons of architecture. The festival aims to showcase Czech and foreign architecture and architectural heritage to both the public and specialists through a series of exhibitions, particularly the exhibition Architecture in Space and Time, highlighting significant buildings and architectural figures that have become icons of their time over the years. The exhibition, curated by prominent Czech architect Miroslav Řepa, will chronologically present various architectural styles through models, photographs, films, drawings, and sketches from the pre-Romanesque period to the present day.

MAD architects - Ordos Museum, photo by Iwan Baan

At the Jiřská Monastery at Prague Castle, several other exhibitions will also take place: the traditional showcase of contemporary world architecture Arch World 2014, the exhibition World Architects on Architecture, Josip Plečnik: Sketches, Le Corbusier: Chandigarh, Architectural Project of the Year 2014, Prague Heart of Europe, For Example. New Polish House, or student exhibitions Lead Dušan 2014 and Ideas for Kulaťák.

This year, the festival will also feature lectures by Czech and foreign architects, intended not only for architecture students but also for professionals and the general public, which will take place at the Faculty of Architecture at the Czech Technical University. During the festival, lectures will be presented by Swiss architect Tilo Herlach from HHF Architects, Mexican architect Juan Pablo Serrano from Serrano Monjaraz Arquitectos, Julien Veyron from the French Atelier arcau, Austrian architect Johannes Baar-Baarenfels from the Baar-Baarenfels Architekten office, Belgian Johan Anrys from 51N4E studio, Spanish architect Juan Antonio González from GPY Arquitectos (his lecture will take place at the Instituto Cervantes), Zvi Hecker from Zvi Hecker Architects in Israel, Venezuelan architect Fruto Vivas, Italian architect Stefano Boeri (Stefano Boeri Architects), and there will be a block of lectures by Czech and Polish architects on the topic of the Contemporary House, Belgian architect Pablo Lhoas from Lhoas & Lhoas Architects, Francisco Pulido from Helmut Jahn Architects will visit from the USA, and on the same day, there will also be a lecture by architects Moshe & Orna Tzur from Moshe Tzur Architects in Israel.

As part of the festival, guided walks for the general public focusing on Prague architecture will be organized in collaboration with the Prague Information Service, taking into account the development of various architectural styles.

The second edition of the international art-architectural project for children in the 4th and 5th grades called Playful Architect 2014 will also take place under the patronage of Mrs. Ivana Zemanová. This year, it will involve 750 children from 30 cities in the Czech Republic and other V4 countries: Slovakia, Poland, and Hungary, with children from Florence, Italy, also participating. The aim of the project is to introduce architecture, art in architecture, and nurture an appreciation for architectural heritage through discussions about architecture and their own artistic creations. The results of the project will be summarized in an exhibition, and the participating children will spend a rewarded day at Prague Castle, where an interesting program of a tour of Prague Castle, exhibitions, and artistic workshops and discussions at Plečnik's lookout led by well-known architectural figures will be prepared for them.

For the professional community, an international expert conference on the topic of Contemporary Architecture in Historical Contexts - Management of Historic Urban Landscape will be held on September 30, 2014, at the Residence of the Mayor of the capital city of Prague. The conference will feature invited representatives from the UNESCO world organization, domestic and world architects, and experts on the protection of monuments and architectural heritage. Their task will be to discuss issues related to the implementation of contemporary architecture into historical settings in cities, based on the analysis of new concepts of cultural heritage and their adaptability to historical cities, the relationship between urban landscape and time, forms and functions of architecture, and urban economy. Contributions to the conference will be presented by Chinese architect Ma Yansong from MAD ARCHITECTS, Nikolaus Goetze from the German studio GMP ARCHITEKTEN, Karim André Hendili and Michael Turner from WHC UNESCO, or Elena Svalduz and Andrea Giordano from the University of Padua. Entry to the conference will be allowed only upon presentation of an invitation.