Crossroads of Architecture 2014: Investor vs. Preservationist

Somewhere there is a debate and in the end, you come to an agreement, elsewhere there are lengthy discussions, but at the moment when the representatives of heritage conservation run out of arguments, they use their options and competencies and simply say NO! – this is how architect Roman Brychta from the studio Projektil Architekti describes the relationships between builders and heritage conservationists. The often not idyllic relationships between investors and builders on one side and heritage protection authorities on the other are a permanent topic in our country. Therefore, this year’s edition of the conference Crossroads of Architecture is dedicated to this area of construction, the complexity and ambiguity of which is signaled by the very title “Investor and Heritage Conservationist: Colleagues or Competitors?”.

Building of the Year - Lípa Resort Aparthotel Atelier Hoffman

In the conference hall of the National Technical Library in Prague, participants of the conference will find a very diverse range of information, experiences, opinions, and undoubtedly a rich discussion on June 3rd. The program prepared by the program committee, which includes among others Radomíra Sedláková from the NG, Naďa Goryzcková from NPÚ, and the aforementioned architect Roman Brychta, is divided into several independent panels and two moderated discussions.
 

Gallery Lázně Liberec

Specific experiences with revitalizing architectural heritage will be presented by, for example, Zbyněk Linhart, the mayor of Krásná Lípa (revitalization of the historical city center), Ladislav Buchta from NPÚ Kroměříž (rescue of Zlín’s “Baťa” architecture), Martin Hanzl from Karlovarské minerální vody (reconstruction of the spa complex in Kyselka), and also Michał Włodarczyk from the Silesian Museum in Katowice (conversion of a coal mine into a regional cultural institution).

A lot of attention will undoubtedly be attracted by the two moderated discussions. The first will focus on the method and scope of heritage protection of building structures, with participation from N. Goryczková, the director of NPÚ, architect Jaroslav Šafer from the Šafer Hájek architects studio, and R. Sedláková, chairwoman of the conference's program committee. The next discussion on the relationships between the investor, or developer, and the heritage conservation authorities will be led by Michal Křovák from Mint Investments, Miroslav Perout from the non-profit organization Lázně Kyselka, and others.

Traditional partners of the conference include the Ministry of Culture and from the business sector, the company Beton Brož. “We are – through our products – suppliers of urban solutions for public spaces. Similarly, architecture comprehensively approaches the problem of public space as does the conference Crossroads of Architecture. Together, we participate in shaping the environment around us,” explains the background of this support its owner Libor Brož. The main media partners of the Crossroads of Architecture 2014 conference are the magazines Stavební fórum and Moderní obec.

The Crossroads of Architecture conference is intended for representatives of local governments, state administration, architects, designers, urban planners, as well as heritage conservationists, investors, developers, cultural institutions, the academic community, and students. It is part of the professional accompanying program of the FOR ARCH construction fair in September, which this year will focus on reconstructions and revitalizations.

For more information, detailed program of the conference and online registration: www.krizovatkyarchitektury.cz.

General partner: Beton Brož
Main partner: Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic
Partner: FOR ARCH
Patronage: ČKA, ČKAIT, SMO ČR, Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic
Main media partners: Stavební fórum, Moderní obec
Media partners: ARCHITEKT, ERA21, ASB, Parliament-Government-Self-Governance, Builder, archiweb.cz, EARCH.cz, PROPAMÁTKY.info
Organizer: ABF, a.s. in cooperation with Stavební fórum