Miroslav Masák: It was somewhat like that and it is somewhat like that - book review

Architect Miroslav Masák has a lot to tell. Not only because he has experienced a great deal himself, but primarily because he has initiated many important events or at least actively participated in them: starting with his own architectural work (let us recall at least the Ještěd Shopping Center, Máj Department Store, the reconstruction of the Trade Fair Palace) and the establishment of the famous SIAL kindergarten after his time at Prague Castle alongside Václav Havel, as well as his many years of teaching activity. It is no wonder that the first edition of his memoirs So It Was from 2006 (the yellow book) is already hopelessly sold out. The second edition differs from the first in the color of the cover (the white book) but primarily supplements it with reflections on the last two decades after the year 2000.

These are actually quite atypical memoirs. Although the focus is, of course, on architecture, particularly that associated with the Liberec studio and his own activities, the author himself often subtly steps into the background in his narration (and when he must admit to having achieved something significant, he immediately weakens this statement with some self-ironic comment). But the book is not just about architecture. Each decade (from the 1950s to the 2020s) is introduced with a summary of key moments in world and domestic politics, with Czech architecture always confronted with contemporary developments abroad. It is precisely in this intertwining of the world of architecture and political and social events that we can see Masák's unique perspective on the deeper meaning of architecture, which he has always sought to fulfill as a creator, educator, and politically engaged person.

For him, architecture is not a self-contained field dominated only by aesthetic criteria; it primarily aims to create a harmonious world. Social responsibility, adherence to ethical values, and personal courage in the face of adverse conditions are, for him, just as significant motivators of architectural creation as the search for artistically inventive form. If not more significant, since, as he writes: “The birth of a beautiful house brings satisfaction, but no house is worth losing one’s decency for.” From this perspective, Masák evaluates the architectural creation of those seven decades. Sometimes these are merely lists of what he considers significant, accompanied by succinct, often one-sentence comments. But believe me, the comments are apt, and the selection is infallible, for he truly understands architecture. He also accurately diagnoses the political conditions of the time, and his critical eye does not miss the sins committed and still committed by Czech society and its representatives, as well as the hopes and victories we unjustly forget.

The book by Miroslav Masák can be read in several ways: As a remarkable life and professional story of an important figure in Czech architecture. As a diagnosis of seventy years of development in domestic and world architecture. And as a reflection on the development of our society with its ups and downs. I look forward to the next edition also reflecting on the years of the 2020s. I just am not sure how we will look in this mirror. All the best for your birthday, my friend.
Author: Miroslav Masák, So It Was and So It Is
Publisher: KANT – Karel Kerlický
Prague 2022
ISBN: 978-80-7437-327-5
140 pages