The exhibition showcases 50 years of work by architect Eva Jiřičná

Prague - A retrospective exhibition of the Czech architect Eva Jiřičná, who is also known abroad, opened today at the DOX Centre in Prague. It showcases her work over five decades and is held on the occasion of Jiřičná's eightieth birthday, which the woman, who has worked for years in Britain, celebrated on March 3rd. A highlight of the exhibition, which includes plans, models, films, and examples of interior design, is the original glass staircase created for a Paris shop. After its closure, it was stored for 25 years in a Czech furniture company, preserving it from destruction.

Both direct and spiral glass staircases are a well-known element of Jiřičná's work. As the first to use glass as a structural element, her designs turn them into sculptural works. "I wanted to create them not just to have a glass staircase, but to connect spaces separated by floors and ceilings with light," Jiřičná told reporters today.

"This staircase was in Paris and was designed about 28 years ago. At that time, we were already making glass staircases, but the technology for laminated glass did not yet exist. Today, safety is achieved by laminating several layers of glass with a safety film. I came up with the idea of placing glass on plexiglass, and many early staircases were made this way. Plexiglass had a load-bearing capacity such that if the glass broke, it would hold two people on each step," she described one of her innovations.

The curator of the exhibition, Leoš Válka, said that the exhibition includes nearly 700 projects. "Not all of them are represented, but at least they are listed. There are dozens of examples of her projects documented with photographs, projections, interviews about the course of the projects, and their philosophy," he stated.

Eva Jiřičná is the most recognized architect of Czech origin in the world. She has become a significant representative of the high-tech style, but her work also echoes organic and minimalist architecture. Her sources of inspiration are showcased in a large-scale projection in the first exhibition hall. They include architects as well as music and everything that moved society in the 1960s and 70s.

Her work is characterized by shape elegance, light expression, and harmony between form and function. She gives shape to interiors and family houses, designs public buildings of various types, including libraries, hotels, schools, congress centers, and transportation terminals.