Expati - Stories of Czech Architects in Foreign Countries
The Institute of Planning and Development of the City of Prague (IPR Prague) is publishing a new book. The publication "Expats" charts the stories of Czech architects living abroad. It takes readers to the United States, Great Britain, Vietnam, Japan, Denmark, Switzerland, and Portugal. Ten personal narratives provide insights into the backgrounds of world-renowned architectural firms, such as BIG, Heatherwick Studio, Foster+Partners, as well as the lives of young architects trying to establish themselves independently abroad. The authors of the book are writer and screenwriter Eugen Liška and architect Adam Gebrian. The book launch will take place on December 14 from 7:00 PM at the Prague Center for Architecture and City Planning (CAMP).
Twenty hours a day in the office and consultations at three in the morning, silence and concentration at a workplace that is not broken by a greeting upon entering the studio, balancing a career abroad with motherhood. The new publication from the IPR publishing house titled "Expats" describes the stories of Czech architects, which take place literally all over the world. You will find names of iconic figures of world architecture, such as Norman Foster, Bjarke Ingels, Thomas Heatherwick, Kenzo Tange, and others. The personal narratives of Czech architects were first presented at CAMP in a cycle of the same name led by architect Adam Gebrian. The book "Expats – Stories of Czech Architects Abroad" is their literary process and is intended for anyone interested in world architecture and design.
“In our newly established publishing house, we already have two titles in our imaginary library. The publication titled 'Planning Prague,' which, as the name suggests, deals with the planning of Prague in the second half of the 20th century, and also a book edited by Pavla Melková titled 'Living Heritage' – that one seeks to find a way to integrate monuments into contemporary life. This time, we decided to publish a title that will find its readers even outside expert circles, and through individual stories, it will bring closer what it is like to go work and develop beyond the borders of the Czech Republic,” says Ondřej Boháč, the director of IPR Prague.
The book offers a total of 10 life stories of Czech architects. Although all chapters have the same structure in the form of continuous narration in the first person, each is unique in its content and focus. Jan Vranovský, who has lived in Tokyo for the last nine years, explains why it is practically impossible for a European to fully understand Japan (and why the Japanese themselves do not care for it). Ondřej Tichý recalls with a smile that his future employers from large world offices were always most interested in student projects from which he had the worst grades at school. Bára Šafářová examined the influence of urbanism on social (in)justice in Texas, while Dana Čupková invents new materials from waste with the help of robots in Pittsburgh. Jan Magasanik, who is currently involved in creating the design for the Vltava Philharmonic at the Danish studio BIG, recalls his first meeting with Bjarke Ingels, which almost ended fatally for the famous Danish architect. Matěj Draslar explains why Switzerland is a "golden cage" for architects, and Petr Štefek reveals a successful recipe for an original job application (a handful of chocolates). Marek Obtulović speculates about what advantage an architect working in Hanoi has because he was born in Ostrava. Lenka Holcner plans "sky-high" in Lisbon and returns the luster to the original interiors of historic buildings, while Veronika Martykán discusses the complexity of such a huge project as the conversion of the heritage-protected Battersea Power Station on the south bank of the Thames. The publication concludes with a bonus interview with young architect Martina Požárová about what had to happen for her to find a job in Switzerland in the middle of a pandemic.
“The idea to invite Czech (and Slovak) architects working professionally abroad arose when we were laying the foundations of the future CAMP. We wanted this new urban ‘information’ center to not only inform visitors but also inspire them. As the first historical speaker, we welcomed Jan Magasanik in November 2018, to whom we therefore decided to give the leading starting position in the book. Adam Gebrian became the guarantor of the selection of speakers, who moderated most evenings and conducted a lively and educational dialogue with our guests,” explains book author Eugen Liška.
Adam Gebrian is also the author of brief "info boxes" complementing individual chapters of the book. In a light-hearted and engaging way, he introduces readers to architectural legends such as Rem Koolhaas, Norman Foster, Heatherwick Studio, Aires Mateus, or Nakagin Capsule Tower.
“Working in such a large team had its positives and negatives – it was as inspiring as it was exhausting. I lasted almost four years and it was mainly because of the St. Petersburg concert hall, for which I wanted to be there during its realization. When we were preparing for the competition back then, it was one long party. We were often at work for twenty hours a day, and consultations with Norman took place five times a day, and anytime – even at three in the morning,” recalls Petr Štefek about working in the world-renowned studio Foster+Partners.
“What comes to mind when you say Vietnam? Probably a convenience store, right? A market and fake Adidas. Or a head massage at the barber? No? You don't know it? Then skilled nails. And Pho soup. But probably very few would picture any architecture, would they? Even though I have lived here for several years, it is still difficult for me to describe Vietnam simply. I would rather buy you their excellent coffee and sit you on the sidewalk of a street in Hanoi so you could experience Vietnam for yourself. The chaos and buzz, where something is happening on every square meter. But I would also have to take you out of the city to the countryside, to the jungle on the borders with Laos and Cambodia – because that is also Vietnam, the contrast and tension between civilization and nature, between city and countryside, between tradition and modernity, between north and south,” shares Marek Obtulović about his Vietnamese life story.
The book launch will take place on December 14, 2022, at 7:00 PM at CAMP. A special Christmas edition of the Expats program will focus on current trends in world architecture, what changed with the covid-19 pandemic, and who among the expats has already returned to the Czech Republic. The guests of the evening will be architects Jan Vranovský, Petr Štefek, Veronika Martykán, and Lenka Holcner.
The book is available for sale at the Center for Architecture and City Planning (CAMP), the PageFive bookstore, and the distribution network Kosmas.
Expats – Stories of Czech Architects Abroad
Adam Gebrian, Eugen Liška
Number of pages: 252
1st edition, 2022
IPR Prague
Recommended retail price: 350 CZK
Twenty hours a day in the office and consultations at three in the morning, silence and concentration at a workplace that is not broken by a greeting upon entering the studio, balancing a career abroad with motherhood. The new publication from the IPR publishing house titled "Expats" describes the stories of Czech architects, which take place literally all over the world. You will find names of iconic figures of world architecture, such as Norman Foster, Bjarke Ingels, Thomas Heatherwick, Kenzo Tange, and others. The personal narratives of Czech architects were first presented at CAMP in a cycle of the same name led by architect Adam Gebrian. The book "Expats – Stories of Czech Architects Abroad" is their literary process and is intended for anyone interested in world architecture and design.
“In our newly established publishing house, we already have two titles in our imaginary library. The publication titled 'Planning Prague,' which, as the name suggests, deals with the planning of Prague in the second half of the 20th century, and also a book edited by Pavla Melková titled 'Living Heritage' – that one seeks to find a way to integrate monuments into contemporary life. This time, we decided to publish a title that will find its readers even outside expert circles, and through individual stories, it will bring closer what it is like to go work and develop beyond the borders of the Czech Republic,” says Ondřej Boháč, the director of IPR Prague.
The book offers a total of 10 life stories of Czech architects. Although all chapters have the same structure in the form of continuous narration in the first person, each is unique in its content and focus. Jan Vranovský, who has lived in Tokyo for the last nine years, explains why it is practically impossible for a European to fully understand Japan (and why the Japanese themselves do not care for it). Ondřej Tichý recalls with a smile that his future employers from large world offices were always most interested in student projects from which he had the worst grades at school. Bára Šafářová examined the influence of urbanism on social (in)justice in Texas, while Dana Čupková invents new materials from waste with the help of robots in Pittsburgh. Jan Magasanik, who is currently involved in creating the design for the Vltava Philharmonic at the Danish studio BIG, recalls his first meeting with Bjarke Ingels, which almost ended fatally for the famous Danish architect. Matěj Draslar explains why Switzerland is a "golden cage" for architects, and Petr Štefek reveals a successful recipe for an original job application (a handful of chocolates). Marek Obtulović speculates about what advantage an architect working in Hanoi has because he was born in Ostrava. Lenka Holcner plans "sky-high" in Lisbon and returns the luster to the original interiors of historic buildings, while Veronika Martykán discusses the complexity of such a huge project as the conversion of the heritage-protected Battersea Power Station on the south bank of the Thames. The publication concludes with a bonus interview with young architect Martina Požárová about what had to happen for her to find a job in Switzerland in the middle of a pandemic.
“The idea to invite Czech (and Slovak) architects working professionally abroad arose when we were laying the foundations of the future CAMP. We wanted this new urban ‘information’ center to not only inform visitors but also inspire them. As the first historical speaker, we welcomed Jan Magasanik in November 2018, to whom we therefore decided to give the leading starting position in the book. Adam Gebrian became the guarantor of the selection of speakers, who moderated most evenings and conducted a lively and educational dialogue with our guests,” explains book author Eugen Liška.
Adam Gebrian is also the author of brief "info boxes" complementing individual chapters of the book. In a light-hearted and engaging way, he introduces readers to architectural legends such as Rem Koolhaas, Norman Foster, Heatherwick Studio, Aires Mateus, or Nakagin Capsule Tower.
“Working in such a large team had its positives and negatives – it was as inspiring as it was exhausting. I lasted almost four years and it was mainly because of the St. Petersburg concert hall, for which I wanted to be there during its realization. When we were preparing for the competition back then, it was one long party. We were often at work for twenty hours a day, and consultations with Norman took place five times a day, and anytime – even at three in the morning,” recalls Petr Štefek about working in the world-renowned studio Foster+Partners.
“What comes to mind when you say Vietnam? Probably a convenience store, right? A market and fake Adidas. Or a head massage at the barber? No? You don't know it? Then skilled nails. And Pho soup. But probably very few would picture any architecture, would they? Even though I have lived here for several years, it is still difficult for me to describe Vietnam simply. I would rather buy you their excellent coffee and sit you on the sidewalk of a street in Hanoi so you could experience Vietnam for yourself. The chaos and buzz, where something is happening on every square meter. But I would also have to take you out of the city to the countryside, to the jungle on the borders with Laos and Cambodia – because that is also Vietnam, the contrast and tension between civilization and nature, between city and countryside, between tradition and modernity, between north and south,” shares Marek Obtulović about his Vietnamese life story.
The book launch will take place on December 14, 2022, at 7:00 PM at CAMP. A special Christmas edition of the Expats program will focus on current trends in world architecture, what changed with the covid-19 pandemic, and who among the expats has already returned to the Czech Republic. The guests of the evening will be architects Jan Vranovský, Petr Štefek, Veronika Martykán, and Lenka Holcner.
The book is available for sale at the Center for Architecture and City Planning (CAMP), the PageFive bookstore, and the distribution network Kosmas.
Expats – Stories of Czech Architects Abroad
Adam Gebrian, Eugen Liška
Number of pages: 252
1st edition, 2022
IPR Prague
Recommended retail price: 350 CZK
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