Book 20000 - invitation to the baptism
Document of contemporary Czech architecture in small towns
The new literary-visual document titled 20000 presents portraits of 20 places in 20 cities of the Czech Republic, each with a population not exceeding 20,000, and featuring the work of 20 leading architectural studios. It is also the second book by Michaela Hečková, the author of the publication About Cities and People. She worked on the new book together with Matěj Chabera, a graphic designer and winner of the Czech Grand Design award in the graphic designer of the year category in 2017. The result is an alternative guide to contemporary Czech architecture. The publication will be released in March 2019 and will be available online, distributed through the Kosmas network, and in bookstores such as Book Therapy, PageFive, ArtMap, and others. The launch will take place on Friday, March 8, at CAMP.
The book 20000 is an architectural guide, a report, and a document about the state of Czech towns and villages, but it is also a book meant to inspire travel and the exploration of contemporary architecture beyond the big cities. It captures the transformations of 20 Czech villages and small towns after the construction of new public buildings or urban interventions that can significantly affect the character and biorythm of a given place. “Great architecture does not need big cities. People are not used to going to the countryside and small towns for inspiration, yet contemporary architecture is much more effective in the small scale of these places. The book is intended not only for architects but for everyone who travels and enjoys being surprised,” explains author Michaela Hečková. Among the mentioned buildings are the Růženka lookout tower in the village of Růžová by the Liberec studio Mjölk architekti, the new gallery in Humpolec called 8smička by OK PLAN ARCHITECTS, the observatory Durch in Valašské Příkazy by architect Zdeněk Fránek, the Štajnhaus hotel in Moravian Mikulov by the studio ORA, or the revitalization of the Loučná river waterfront in Litomyšl by Rusina Frei architekti.
The texts were created based on interviews not only with individual architectural studios but also with so-called movers of architecture, i.e., clients, investors, operators, municipal or town administration, and local cultural organizers. The authorial photographs were taken specifically for this book in an atypical manner during the actual operation of the buildings.
The concept and texts of the book 20000 were created by Michaela Hečková, who has long focused on the theme of revitalizing public spaces. In the past, she participated in projects redefining the environments of Prague housing estates Jižní Město (the Street for Art festival about art in public space, Gallery Chodovská tvrz) and Černý Most (community center Plechárna). Currently, she works as a project manager for the SIGNAL festival, the largest visual arts festival in the Czech Republic. At the beginning of 2017, she published her first authorial book About Cities and People, which mapped thirty-three stories about the revitalization of public spaces in thirty-three Czech cities.
The author of the photographs and graphic design of the book is Matěj Chabera, a graphic designer and a graduate of the prestigious Royal College of Art in London. He has spent the last fifteen years working for a spectrum of clients in London, Milan, and Amsterdam. Last year, he received the Graphic Designer of the Year award as part of the Czech Grand Design 2017. He is currently collaborating with the Czech brand Braasi Industry and focusing on product design.
The book 20000 will be released on March 8, 2019. It will be available in the e-shop at www.kniha20000.cz, distributed through the Kosmas network, and in bookstores such as Book Therapy, PageFive, ArtMap, and others.
The launch will take place on March 8, 2019, at 7:00 PM at CAMP. The opening speech will be delivered by Jan Vondrák from the studio Mjölk architekti, Pavel Buryška from XTOPIX, and Mirek Vodák together with Tomáš Zdvihal from CBArchitektura. During the launch, a twenty-four-meter projection wall at CAMP will transform into a one-time exhibition and showcase the projects documented in the book.
More information >
The book 20000 is an architectural guide, a report, and a document about the state of Czech towns and villages, but it is also a book meant to inspire travel and the exploration of contemporary architecture beyond the big cities. It captures the transformations of 20 Czech villages and small towns after the construction of new public buildings or urban interventions that can significantly affect the character and biorythm of a given place. “Great architecture does not need big cities. People are not used to going to the countryside and small towns for inspiration, yet contemporary architecture is much more effective in the small scale of these places. The book is intended not only for architects but for everyone who travels and enjoys being surprised,” explains author Michaela Hečková. Among the mentioned buildings are the Růženka lookout tower in the village of Růžová by the Liberec studio Mjölk architekti, the new gallery in Humpolec called 8smička by OK PLAN ARCHITECTS, the observatory Durch in Valašské Příkazy by architect Zdeněk Fránek, the Štajnhaus hotel in Moravian Mikulov by the studio ORA, or the revitalization of the Loučná river waterfront in Litomyšl by Rusina Frei architekti.
The texts were created based on interviews not only with individual architectural studios but also with so-called movers of architecture, i.e., clients, investors, operators, municipal or town administration, and local cultural organizers. The authorial photographs were taken specifically for this book in an atypical manner during the actual operation of the buildings.
The concept and texts of the book 20000 were created by Michaela Hečková, who has long focused on the theme of revitalizing public spaces. In the past, she participated in projects redefining the environments of Prague housing estates Jižní Město (the Street for Art festival about art in public space, Gallery Chodovská tvrz) and Černý Most (community center Plechárna). Currently, she works as a project manager for the SIGNAL festival, the largest visual arts festival in the Czech Republic. At the beginning of 2017, she published her first authorial book About Cities and People, which mapped thirty-three stories about the revitalization of public spaces in thirty-three Czech cities.
The author of the photographs and graphic design of the book is Matěj Chabera, a graphic designer and a graduate of the prestigious Royal College of Art in London. He has spent the last fifteen years working for a spectrum of clients in London, Milan, and Amsterdam. Last year, he received the Graphic Designer of the Year award as part of the Czech Grand Design 2017. He is currently collaborating with the Czech brand Braasi Industry and focusing on product design.
The book 20000 will be released on March 8, 2019. It will be available in the e-shop at www.kniha20000.cz, distributed through the Kosmas network, and in bookstores such as Book Therapy, PageFive, ArtMap, and others.
The launch will take place on March 8, 2019, at 7:00 PM at CAMP. The opening speech will be delivered by Jan Vondrák from the studio Mjölk architekti, Pavel Buryška from XTOPIX, and Mirek Vodák together with Tomáš Zdvihal from CBArchitektura. During the launch, a twenty-four-meter projection wall at CAMP will transform into a one-time exhibition and showcase the projects documented in the book.
More information >
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