Eva Jiřičná: A person feels their whole life that they are twenty

London - The Czech architect Eva Jiřičná does not intend to celebrate her seventieth birthday and still feels like she is twenty. She is working full-time, her main concern is keeping her studio afloat during the crisis, and she still regrets that the project of the National Library in Prague has become politicized - primarily, she says, due to Václav Klaus and his "inability to understand" that even as president, he doesn’t have to understand modern architecture.
    "I don't know what there is to celebrate - just being such an old lady," said Jiřičná, who has lived in London for over 40 years. "Maybe just as a farewell to youth? But I don’t even know when youth actually ends. A person feels like they are twenty all their life. My mother always used to say that and we laughed about it. Now I know what she meant."
    In any case, Jiřičná, who is one of the most well-known Czech architects, is not planning any special celebrations. "Maybe when I get back from Prague, we’ll do something in the studio. My secretary has a birthday on the same day and we celebrate together every year," she told ČTK.
    However, she is certain that she does not intend to retire. "Unless the recession forces me to close the office," she sighed.
    Eva Jiřičná has lived in England since August 1968. The Czechoslovak authorities revoked her exit permit and recommended that she not return. It was a rather difficult time for her. "My father was dying. I didn’t have money, yet I was supporting my brother, who was studying here," added Jiřičná, who recalls the pulsating 60s in London with gratitude.
    "It was 'swinging London', parties, 'flower-power'. Nobody had any money, but you could buy a bottle of wine... Optimism was everywhere. That was a time that probably will not come back. And being part of that - one can only be grateful," she reminisced.
    She also managed to establish herself professionally quite quickly. "I enjoyed doing architecture and had no trouble working, but there was also a big stroke of luck involved," she admitted.
    She worked for almost ten years for the studio of Louise de Soisson on the redevelopment of the port in Brighton. Another key moment was the interior projects for the fashion stores Joseph, which made her famous. "I have no idea how it happened. Then at the opening of one of them, I met (the famous British architect) Richard Rogers, who liked it and told me to come to him the very next day. I then worked for him for two and a half years doing interiors for Lloyds Bank."
    And her rise was definitively confirmed in 1982 with the project for the entrance of London’s department store Harrods. "I did that with (Jan) Kaplický, who was also unemployed at the time. And since then, it's been easier," she added.
    She has behind her dozens of famous projects, but she has a special relationship with those that serve the public - for example, the renovations of the interiors of the famous Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Such projects bring joy to more people, she believes.
    Since returning for the first time to Prague in 1990, she believes the capital has changed "for better and worse". She likes, for instance, the reconstruction of Prague Castle and appreciates the efforts of the conservationists. "Even though we still argue with them," she added with a smile.
    "But Wenceslas Square is really a disaster. It was one of the most beautiful spaces in Prague, all those buildings were unique next to each other in an architectural sense. When you look at it now, it’s really heartbreaking," she said.
    Eva Jiřičná chaired the jury that selected the design for the National Library by her former partner, Jan Kaplický. "It was a complicated building, but it's a pity that it became a political matter that divided the nation. The politicians are to blame, including Mr. President and Mr. (Prague mayor Pavel) Bém, who simply did not handle the situation at all," she said regarding the disputes over the project.
    According to Jiřičná, it is about "the inability to understand that modern architecture is simply something that I, even though I am the president of the Czech Republic, do not understand."
    "Architecture can have various faces. Someone may completely dislike a project... that has been happening since the beginning of history - even in Egypt, some people did not like the pyramids. That is normal... but when I am in the role of the president, I cannot act like the despots in history who did not allow anything that was not to their liking. One has to be able to accept the opinions of experts," added the renowned architect.
    Despite all her successes, Eva Jiřičná, like other British architects, is facing economic problems during the crisis. "What are my plans? At the moment, it is what keeps us alive - that is my basic plan," she added.
    "Since Christmas, all the well-known offices have reduced their staff by 30 to 60 percent, I was the only one who did not reduce anything. I probably should, but I can't bring myself to get rid of the people who have worked with me for ten or fifteen years. We are fighting and trying to stay afloat, whether we succeed, God knows," she declared.
    But even these problems do not take away her optimism. "One must be grateful for everything one has received. One must move on and look forward, not backward," is Eva Jiřičná's conviction.