ModulARCH 2015 – modular architecture festival

Modular architecture has become a significant and progressive area of construction in recent years, and following the success of the EXPO pavilion built using modular technology, it is gaining increasing awareness among both professionals and the general public. Nevertheless, many experts are still uncertain about how to design modular architecture, for what types of buildings it is suitable, and what its technological limits are.

In the Czech Republic, modular architecture is still regarded as a marginal method of construction, despite its significant global expansion in recent years. This is even though the modular construction system is appropriate for both family homes and as a solution in crisis situations or as an unconventional method of building in specific conditions. This is evidenced by the new Czech pavilion at EXPO 2015 in Milan, designed by the architectural studio Chybik Krištof AA and built by the company KOMA Modular from Vizovice. The Modular Architecture Festival ModulARCH 2015, taking place at the end of April in Brno, aims to introduce the possibilities of modular architecture not only to experts but also to the general public, who will ultimately use modular buildings.

ModulARCH 2015 will focus on presenting modular architecture in an unconventional setting and will spark discussions about what can be achieved in modular design. This will be facilitated by an interdisciplinary professional conference with international participation, a student workshop that will explore the possibilities of modular architecture with the topic Modular Tower for Brno, an idea competition for young architects focusing on the theory of modular urbanism, and accompanying events in the city's streets, including an exhibition of an extraordinary modular house designed by the Chilean architect Sebastián Irarrazaval.

CONFERENCE

A full-day interdisciplinary conference will be held on April 23, 2015, as part of the Building Fair in Brno, and the festival's main star will be the Chilean architect Sebastián Irarrazaval, who is a prominent figure in the South American architectural scene. Architect Irarrazaval has exhibited at the Venice Biennale, and besides his architectural practice, he has taught at MIT, the University of Arizona, and currently leads a studio at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. Sebastián Irarrazaval will be joined by experts from both the Czech Republic and abroad, with the conference program focusing on a comprehensive understanding of modular construction. Speakers will discuss not only the technology and architecture but also urbanism and the potential of using modular architecture to revitalize public space.
The conference is primarily intended for professionals and can be registered for on the website www.modularch.cz.

WORKSHOP

Additionally, architect Irarrazaval will lead a three-day student workshop in Brno with his compatriot architect Ximena Garcia-Huidobro on the topic of Modular Tower for Brno, which will take place from April 23 to 25, 2015, in collaboration with FAST VUT Brno at the Moravian Gallery premises. The workshop, which will explore the maximum possibilities of modular architecture, is open to students from all architectural schools in the Czech Republic, but prior registration is necessary. Participants who are not nominated directly by one of the faculties will be selected by architect Irarrazaval himself. Registration for the workshop will be available from the end of February 2015 on the website www.modularch.cz.

ARCHITECTURAL COMPETITION

The idea competition follows the tradition of student competitions organized by KOMA and is intended for students and graduates of architectural schools within five years of graduation. Further information regarding the competition will be issued after the announcement, according to ČKA regulations, with KOMA MODULAR as the organizer of the competition.

ACCOMPANYING EVENTS

However, ModulARCH festival will not be open only to professionals. In collaboration with the Moravian Gallery in Brno, the organizers are preparing the placement of several small modular objects made of atypical CITY modules with a trapezoidal shape in squares and public spaces in Brno. The modules were created by the architectural duo Chybík & Krištof AA in cooperation with the Moravian Gallery in Brno and the company KOMA Modular, which is also the general partner of the festival. The highlight of the modular objects in Brno will be an object designed specifically for this event by Sebastián Irarrazaval. The object is shrouded in mystery, as the organizers only reveal that anyone who wants to know more should watch the film Dogville.

April 2015 will thus be marked in Brno by modular architecture. Anyone interested in this topic should not miss the festival. More at www.modularch.cz.