In memory of Švácha and Kopecký, they received the honor of the Chamber of Architects

Prague - The Czech Chamber of Architects (ČKA) awarded the tribute for the year 2013 today to the significant Czech architecture theorist Rostislav Švácha. During the ceremony, a tribute for the year 2012 was also awarded posthumously to architect David Kopecký. His wife, director and dramaturge Bára Kopecká, accepted the award, and she is the author of a documentary that also commemorates the brave architect who passed away at the age of 46.
The jury decided to honor Kopecký, motivated especially by the desire to highlight his outstanding work and the extraordinary legacy he left behind after his untimely death in 2009, stated ČKA regarding the selection of the laureate. "His opinions, work, personal life, his expression - all exhibited incredible coherence and unity. He himself was a gesamtkunstwerk. He refined every moment, every word, and perfected every stance. His unsentimental stripping away of the insignificant, of reducing to the core, became legendary,” says the jury. According to ČKA spokesperson Zuzana Hošková, the chamber did not award the previous year's prize for organizational reasons.
The documentary about the architect, who was among the radically experimenting creators, is titled DK and is an intimate testimony of strong visions, an obsession with work often pushing aside ordinary life problems, and a desire to discover and see anew. The day after the awarding of the ČKA tribute, on December 4, it will be presented by ČT art.
Rostislav Švácha is a respected Czech historian of modern architecture and a publicist, who according to the jury significantly contributes to promoting the good name of Czech architecture in the world. "This holds true for his interpretation of interwar architecture as well as for the reflection of contemporary creation. His analyses of architecture always prominently demonstrate penetrating interpretations of works in broader cultural and social contexts, as well as his clear opinion on the purpose of architecture,” states the expert jury in justification of their choice.
Švácha is also a teacher, having raised an entire generation of art historians interested in modern architecture, and has influenced creative architects with his inspirational ideas. The jury also appreciated Rostislav Švácha's activities concerning contemporary development and urbanism. One of the recent cases he has repeatedly commented on is the ongoing fate of the railway station in Havířov.
Part of the awarding of the ČKA tribute is a reward of 50,000 crowns for the publication of a book or a study stay that will support the scientific activities of the awarded.