GRAND PRIX of Architects 2007 – Selection of the Gallery of Architecture

July 13 - July 29, 2006, Architecture Gallery

opening of the exhibition on July 12, 2006, at 6 PM
open Tuesday to Friday 11 AM - 6 PM, Saturday - Sunday 1 PM - 6 PM.

The exhibition is organized by the CENTER FOR ARCHITECTURE in cooperation with the Association of Architects. The exhibition is accompanied by a catalog.

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For the exhibition's presentation in the Architecture Gallery in Brno, the awarded works, as well as projects that have an authorial or local connection to Brno and its surroundings, along with works not awarded by the expert jury but indicative of the development and state of contemporary Czech architecture, have been traditionally selected. The Brno audience will be presented with 50 out of a total of 81 competition panels submitted for this year's competition.
These include all awarded works, among which Brno is represented by an honorable mention for the new building of the Departure Terminal at Brno-Tuřany Airport by author Petr Parolek.
Other awarded projects, particularly those appealing to the public, include Center for Ecological Activities in Olomouc – Sluňákov (authors: Roman Brychta, Adam Halíř, Ondřej Hofmeister, Petr Lešek) and Memorial to the Victims of Communism in Liberec by authors Petr Janda, Jakub Našinec, Aleš Kubalík, and Josef Kocián.

In the selection for the Architecture Gallery, among Brno's realized projects are, for example, the new headquarters of the company VARS Brno, a.s. on Kroftova Street (authors Jaroslav Dokoupil and Alena Zemanová), the reconstruction of the information center of the Faculty of Science, MU on Kotlářská Street (authors Radko Květ, Richard Mátl, Jiří Zrzavý), and the memorial to the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Resistance on Roosevelt Street by Michal Gabriel (collaboration: Petr Jambor and Oleg Haman).
The Lifetime Achievement Award was presented this year to architect Jaroslav Drápal, who combined creative work with teaching at the Brno Faculty of Architecture throughout his career.

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GRAND PRIX ARCHITECTS 2007

The 14th edition of the competitive showcase of the best architectural works in the past year on the territory of the Czech Republic under its new name GRAND PRIX ARCHITECTS 2007 - National Award for Architecture signals changes. The fundamental change is that we are organizing the showcase for the first time in collaboration with the Czech Chamber of Architects. For both professionals and the lay public, this should be a sufficient argument that this is the most prestigious event of its kind. Another significant change is that any citizen of the Czech Republic can nominate works for the showcase. The architect must then confirm this nomination by submitting an application and handing in a panel for the competition.
For the reasons mentioned above, we consider this year's edition to be a breakthrough, and for next year's edition, we hope to successfully implement the entire concept of the competition as prepared by the joint working group of the Association and the Chamber. What I mean specifically is the creation of an internet portal for submitting works, the establishment of the "Academy of Architecture" statute, and active involvement of Czech Television, which would publicize viewers' opinions on selected works in individual categories of the Academy of Architecture based on internet voting before the decision of the international independent jury. It is an ambitious plan that will require a lot of effort and financial resources in the upcoming edition, but for that reason, we have joined forces in organizing the competition to achieve this goal. That we are on the right path is confirmed by the interest of foreign architectural "stars" in participating in the jury. For next year, Bjarke Ingels from Denmark and Axel Schultes from Germany are already prepared to serve on the jury.

GRAND PRIX ARCHITECTS 2007 - National Award for Architecture - the new name of the competitive showcase of architectural works indicates that something has changed compared to previous years. In the subtitle, we learn that this year for the first time, this showcase is organized by the Association of Architects together with the Czech Chamber of Architects. In reality, however, no major changes have occurred yet. The status of the showcase remains the same in its main outlines, and the organization is again ensured by the Association of Architects. The competition categories and the system for appointing the international jury and its evaluation remain unchanged. However, there has been an agreement to collaborate on organizing future editions, and authorized architects have the same conditions for accessing the showcase as members of the Association.
The Association of Architects, as our most significant association of architects with the largest membership base, has organized thirteen editions of this showcase of Czech architects' realizations in previous years, and it deserves recognition for that. The event has gradually gained significant reputation not only among architects but also among the public and has attracted considerable media attention.
The Czech Chamber of Architects, which is a professional organization defined by law, participates in granting authorization certificates, monitors the performance of authorized architects, takes part in organizing architectural competitions, and also monitors the quality of Czech architecture.
The chamber's board prepared to hold its own chamber showcase last year, although based on different principles than those established by the status of the Grand Prix of the Association of Architects. Ultimately, the showcase could not be organized. Then the question arose whether it is good for architects, similar to theater professionals, to have more likely competitive awards. Theaters and actors have the Thálie Award, the Alfred Radok Award, and certainly others, each is uniquely profiled, but for the public, it may be somewhat confusing. It was then discussed whether it would be better to unite and hold just one event, really prestigious.
In the past, however, some critical voices have emerged both from architects and architectural theorists that the Grand Prix deserved certain innovations. Therefore, I welcome that representatives of both organizations managed to meet and unite in that they will jointly organize a competitive showcase that should testify mainly about the best works of Czech architects. It should be a showcase that would be able to present Czech architecture not only at home but also send signals abroad. I do not want to anticipate how the next editions will be organized and presented; that is the task of the organizing committee, which will include representatives from both sides. What is important is that the showcases in the following years dignifiedly continue the tradition of the Grand Prix of the Association of Architects. I hope that their level, meaning the quality of the exhibited works, will increase year by year.

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STATUTE OF THE GRAND PRIX ARCHITECTS - National Award for Architecture

GRAND PRIX ARCHITECTS - National Award for Architecture is a competitive showcase of architectural works completed in the past year. It is organized annually by the Association of Architects on Architecture Day of the UIA. The competition is open; both Czech and foreign architects, designers, and artists can participate, on the condition that the work is realized on the territory of the Czech Republic.
The GRAND PRIX ARCHITECTS - National Award for Architecture showcase has 7 categories - New Building, Reconstruction, Interior, Landscape Architecture and Garden Design, Urbanism, Architectural Design and Small Architecture, and Artistic Work in Architecture.

The works are evaluated by an independent expert international jury. The jury works each year in a different composition, but it always includes at least four foreign architects and a Czech critic, theorist, or art historian or artist. In individual categories, awards and honorable mentions are granted, with the main award being the GRAND PRIX ARCHITECTS - National Award for Architecture, which is awarded to the winning work of the entire showcase.

At the ceremonial announcement of the winners, the award for significant lifetime achievement is also presented to a Czech architect. The laureate is proposed by the Council of the Association of Architects.

This year, the Minister of Regional Development and the Minister of the Environment awards were granted.

The awards are honorary.

All works are always presented at an exhibition at the National Gallery in Prague, in the Collection of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Veletržní Palace. The exhibition, as a traveling exhibit, will visit several Czech and Moravian cities and will also be presented abroad.

Thanks to the great interest of creators in the GRAND PRIX ARCHITECTS competition, a comprehensive overview of contemporary architectural work in the Czech Republic is being created.