Round Table IV: Architectural Competitions
Organizers: Era 21 in collaboration with the House of Arts of the City of Brno
Location: lecture hall of the House of Lords from Kunštát, Dominikánská 9, Brno
Date: Wednesday, March 26, 2008, 18:00
Moderators: Vendula Hnídková, Rostislav Koryčánek
Discussion participants: Dalibor Borák, Tomáš Hradečný, Zdeněk Jiran, Ivo Koukol, Igor Kovačević, Miroslav Masák, Pavel Nasadil, Jiří Plos
Main media partner: Archiweb
Estimated audience: 120-150
Entry to the discussion is free.
For the second year, the architectural magazine Era 21 is organizing a series of critical Round Tables, which aim to publicly discuss urgent topics related to contemporary architecture and architectural practice in the Czech Republic. Each Round Table topic takes place in a different city, always depending on the situation and suitability of the topic, with invited experts, architects, and other interested parties participating. After discussions on Architectural Education (Ostrava), Architecture and Media (Prague), and the SIAL Phenomenon (Liberec), this time the topic of architectural competitions will be opened.
Abstract
The year 2007 became a turning point for the topic of architectural competitions. Thanks to the outcome of one competition and its deft media promotion, the general public was suddenly drawn into the difficult issue that architectural competitions undoubtedly are. In the most diverse social strata, another grateful conversational topic emerged.
However, the impact of the increased interest in the new National Library building is two-edged. Without raising the question of the societal significance of architectural competitions for a more democratic functioning of society as a whole, it too often and easily slips among more knowledgeable individuals into superficial evaluations and hasty judgments.
The institution of the architectural competition can achieve much. Seeking suitable solutions through architectural competitions can yield unexpected, innovative results that financially motivated investors might not dare to envision. Ultimately, even an unrealized competitive experiment may push the boundaries of architectural thinking. And "thinking" is naturally refined through "speaking," which is always automatically triggered after the announcement of competition results.
Unfortunately, competitions remain just tools in our imperfect hands and heads, and thus their critical reflection is constantly desirable. As it turns out, neither professional journals nor the competition sponsors themselves are capable of sufficiently satisfying this need. The number of exhibitions and printed presentations is meager, costs are high, and formats are inadequate. How to deal with this fact?
For these reasons, a discussion with interested participants seems to be the optimal platform to open the topic of architectural competitions, whose insights can bring inspiring impulses even for those less involved so far.
Profiles of discussion participants
Mgr. Vendula Hnídková (1978) - architectural historian. She works as a researcher at the Institute of Art History of the Czech Academy of Sciences and simultaneously as a PhD student in the Theory and History of Design and New Media program at the AAAD under Prof. Jindřich Vybírala.
Mgr. Rostislav Koryčánek (1972) - art historian, editor-in-chief of Era 21 until 2005. Currently, he heads the House of Arts of the City of Brno. He has been long-term involved in the medialization of architecture and bridging the cultural scenes of Brno and Prague.
Ing. arch. Dalibor Borák (1959) - architect, graduate of the Faculty of Architecture at VUT Brno. From 1984 to 1990, he worked at Stavoprojekt Brno and Drupos Brno; in 1990, he founded the company Nový dům. Since 1993, he has been a member of the Supervisory Board of the Czech Chamber of Architects (ČKA). In 1995, he established an architectural office with Helena Boráková, and also collaborated with Atelier Brno with architects Petr Hrůša and Petr Pelčák. Since 2001, together with Tomáš Dus and Jiří Šigut, he has been managing the construction and project firm Dobrý dům. From 2002 to 2004, he served as the chairman of the Supervisory Board of ČKA, in 2004 he was elected to the Board of the Czech Chamber of Architects and entrusted with foreign affairs, especially relations with ACE (the European Council of Architects). Since 2004, he has served as vice-chairman of ČKA; in 2007, he was elected its chairman. Since 2006, he has been a member of the advisory group of the European Commission (ACETA) for architect education accreditation.
Ing. arch. Zdeněk Jiran (1959) - architect, graduate of the Faculty of Architecture at VUT Brno (1978-1983). After practicing in the 03 studio of Stavoprojekt Liberec, he worked in Vienna (under Prof. W. Holzbauer), Salzburg (architect. Franzmair), and Regensburg (architect. Naumann) from 1989 to 1991. After further involvement in the Liberec SIAL, he worked with Alena Šrámková and Michal Kohout, and in 1992 co-founded the architectural office JBKM architekti (Jiran-Bouřil-Kohout-Máslo), which has continued under the name Jiran Kohout architekti since 1995. In 1989 he was a lecturer at the International Summer School of Architecture in Liberec and also contributed to establishing the Faculty of Architecture at the Technical University of Liberec. From 1994 to 2005, he led, along with architect Vavřík, an architectural design studio at the Faculty of Architecture of ČVUT in Prague, and also served on the academic senate of the faculty and the Scientific and Artistic Council. From 1998 to 2001, he was chairman of the supervisory board of NČA, he is a member of the Czech Chamber of Architects, the Architects' Association, and the S.V.U. Mánes. He has received prestigious architectural awards for his work multiple times and was nominated for the European Prize for Architecture by the Ludwig Mies van der Rohe Foundation in 1998.
Ing. arch. Tomáš Hradečný (1969) - architect. He studied at the Faculty of Architecture at ČVUT in Prague (1988-1995) and in 1998 co-founded the office HŠH architekti with Petr Hájek and Jan Šépka. In 1997-1998, he earned two first places in public architectural competitions: for the design of paving Jiřské náměstí at Prague Castle (1997, realization 1999-2002, 1st place in Public Space competition - Freiraum no2 in 2004) and for the solution of the Archdiocesan Museum in Olomouc (1998, realization 2000-2006, nomination for the Mies van der Rohe Award for the Czech Republic in 2006). From 1999 to 2003, he participated in the traveling exhibition "Spatial House," and in 2002, he took part in two group exhibitions - MEGA - Megamanifest in Künstlerhaus in Vienna and Un Salon Tchéque in IFA in Paris. The realization of a villa in Beroun received an award from Bauwelt magazine in 2005. Last year, he participated in the exhibition "Form Follows... Risk," presented in Prague and Bratislava, and won 3rd place in an international architectural competition for the National Library. From 2002 to 2004, he was a member of the CKA College of Registers, and since 2004 he has been a member of the Board of ČKA and since 2005 a member of the Board of the Society of Petr Parléř, o. p. s.
Ing. arch. Ivo Koukol - architect. Since the early 1990s, he has worked as a representative of the investor, client, or competition announcer and selection procedures. From 1993 to 2001, he served as the director of the Administration of Prague Castle and since 2001, he has been in the private sector (notably concept development and management of the new ČSOB headquarters project in Prague-Radlice and others).
Ing. arch. Igor Kovačević (1973) - architect. He graduated from the Faculty of Architecture at ČVUT in Prague (2000), and in the same year, he co-founded his own architectural studio with Yvette Vašourková. In 2001, he was one of the founders of the first independent architecture center in the Czech Republic - Center for Central European Architecture / CCEA. In 2004, he completed a fellowship at Masterclass Steel in Rotterdam. He is currently working on a doctoral thesis on "Yugoslav Architects Trained in the Czech Republic," and he is also engaged in curatorial and publishing activities.
Prof. Ing. arch. Miroslav Masák (1932) - architect. He graduated from the Faculty of Architecture and Civil Engineering at ČVUT in Prague (1952-1958). Since 1959, he worked in studio 2 of Stavoprojekt Liberec; in 1968, he became a founding member of SIAL and the founder and head of the Liberec Nursery. After politically motivated termination of activities, he returned to studio 2. From 1990 to 1993, he served as a professional advisor to the President of the Republic while also being tasked with the further development of Prague Castle. Since 1994, he has been an external instructor at the Faculty of Architecture at VUT Brno. Since 1995, he has worked in the working group of the Czech Chamber of Architects, where he was elected to the board in 1997 and tasked with leading the education sector for architects. In 1999, he was appointed professor of architecture at VUT. On February 23, 2007, he was awarded the ČKA Honor for the year 2006 as part of the SIAL Phenomenon roundtable at the Ateliér café in Liberec.
Ing. arch. MgA. Pavel Nasadil (1975) - architect. He studied at Eaton School in Norwich (UK), Faculty of Architecture at ČVUT in Prague, and the School of Architecture of Prof. Emil Přikryl at the AVU in Prague. During his studies, he worked in the studios of Masák and Partner and Studio A in Prague and also in the office of Feilden + Mawson Architects and Planners in Norwich. In 2005, he co-founded the architectural office FAM Architekti with architects Jan Horký and Tomáš Straka. The young studio has several realizations behind it (New Czech House in Velký Týnec, family house in Vřesina) and has made a name for itself particularly through projects with which it successfully participated in a number of architectural competitions in recent years (Solution for Mírové náměstí in Dobříš, Údolní 53 in Brno, YMCA Norwich, Seagulls Children's Centre, Gorleston, Pedestrian Zone Náchod…). Pavel Nasadil's diploma project "Ideal Hlučín" won first prize in the ČKA Diploma Works competition in 2005.
JUDr. PhDr. Jiří Plos (1952) - secretary of the Czech Chamber of Architects, educator at the Faculty of Architecture of ČVUT Prague (field of law and urbanism) and at the Faculty of Architecture TU Liberec (field of law and field of urban construction). He focuses on the theory and history of architecture and urbanism, theory of spatial (land use) planning, including strategic planning of municipalities, towns and regions, concentrating on law focusing on construction, authorized architects' professional practice, monument care, environmental issues including nature and landscape protection, and the organization and execution of public administration in the mentioned areas. He participates in the preparation of legal norms, development programs for municipalities, planning documentation. He provides expert consulting services in the field of spatial planning and in other mentioned fields for architects, public administration, and investors.
Location: lecture hall of the House of Lords from Kunštát, Dominikánská 9, Brno
Date: Wednesday, March 26, 2008, 18:00
Moderators: Vendula Hnídková, Rostislav Koryčánek
Discussion participants: Dalibor Borák, Tomáš Hradečný, Zdeněk Jiran, Ivo Koukol, Igor Kovačević, Miroslav Masák, Pavel Nasadil, Jiří Plos
Main media partner: Archiweb
Estimated audience: 120-150
Entry to the discussion is free.
For the second year, the architectural magazine Era 21 is organizing a series of critical Round Tables, which aim to publicly discuss urgent topics related to contemporary architecture and architectural practice in the Czech Republic. Each Round Table topic takes place in a different city, always depending on the situation and suitability of the topic, with invited experts, architects, and other interested parties participating. After discussions on Architectural Education (Ostrava), Architecture and Media (Prague), and the SIAL Phenomenon (Liberec), this time the topic of architectural competitions will be opened.
Abstract
The year 2007 became a turning point for the topic of architectural competitions. Thanks to the outcome of one competition and its deft media promotion, the general public was suddenly drawn into the difficult issue that architectural competitions undoubtedly are. In the most diverse social strata, another grateful conversational topic emerged.
However, the impact of the increased interest in the new National Library building is two-edged. Without raising the question of the societal significance of architectural competitions for a more democratic functioning of society as a whole, it too often and easily slips among more knowledgeable individuals into superficial evaluations and hasty judgments.
The institution of the architectural competition can achieve much. Seeking suitable solutions through architectural competitions can yield unexpected, innovative results that financially motivated investors might not dare to envision. Ultimately, even an unrealized competitive experiment may push the boundaries of architectural thinking. And "thinking" is naturally refined through "speaking," which is always automatically triggered after the announcement of competition results.
Unfortunately, competitions remain just tools in our imperfect hands and heads, and thus their critical reflection is constantly desirable. As it turns out, neither professional journals nor the competition sponsors themselves are capable of sufficiently satisfying this need. The number of exhibitions and printed presentations is meager, costs are high, and formats are inadequate. How to deal with this fact?
For these reasons, a discussion with interested participants seems to be the optimal platform to open the topic of architectural competitions, whose insights can bring inspiring impulses even for those less involved so far.
Profiles of discussion participants
Mgr. Vendula Hnídková (1978) - architectural historian. She works as a researcher at the Institute of Art History of the Czech Academy of Sciences and simultaneously as a PhD student in the Theory and History of Design and New Media program at the AAAD under Prof. Jindřich Vybírala.
Mgr. Rostislav Koryčánek (1972) - art historian, editor-in-chief of Era 21 until 2005. Currently, he heads the House of Arts of the City of Brno. He has been long-term involved in the medialization of architecture and bridging the cultural scenes of Brno and Prague.
Ing. arch. Dalibor Borák (1959) - architect, graduate of the Faculty of Architecture at VUT Brno. From 1984 to 1990, he worked at Stavoprojekt Brno and Drupos Brno; in 1990, he founded the company Nový dům. Since 1993, he has been a member of the Supervisory Board of the Czech Chamber of Architects (ČKA). In 1995, he established an architectural office with Helena Boráková, and also collaborated with Atelier Brno with architects Petr Hrůša and Petr Pelčák. Since 2001, together with Tomáš Dus and Jiří Šigut, he has been managing the construction and project firm Dobrý dům. From 2002 to 2004, he served as the chairman of the Supervisory Board of ČKA, in 2004 he was elected to the Board of the Czech Chamber of Architects and entrusted with foreign affairs, especially relations with ACE (the European Council of Architects). Since 2004, he has served as vice-chairman of ČKA; in 2007, he was elected its chairman. Since 2006, he has been a member of the advisory group of the European Commission (ACETA) for architect education accreditation.
Ing. arch. Zdeněk Jiran (1959) - architect, graduate of the Faculty of Architecture at VUT Brno (1978-1983). After practicing in the 03 studio of Stavoprojekt Liberec, he worked in Vienna (under Prof. W. Holzbauer), Salzburg (architect. Franzmair), and Regensburg (architect. Naumann) from 1989 to 1991. After further involvement in the Liberec SIAL, he worked with Alena Šrámková and Michal Kohout, and in 1992 co-founded the architectural office JBKM architekti (Jiran-Bouřil-Kohout-Máslo), which has continued under the name Jiran Kohout architekti since 1995. In 1989 he was a lecturer at the International Summer School of Architecture in Liberec and also contributed to establishing the Faculty of Architecture at the Technical University of Liberec. From 1994 to 2005, he led, along with architect Vavřík, an architectural design studio at the Faculty of Architecture of ČVUT in Prague, and also served on the academic senate of the faculty and the Scientific and Artistic Council. From 1998 to 2001, he was chairman of the supervisory board of NČA, he is a member of the Czech Chamber of Architects, the Architects' Association, and the S.V.U. Mánes. He has received prestigious architectural awards for his work multiple times and was nominated for the European Prize for Architecture by the Ludwig Mies van der Rohe Foundation in 1998.
Ing. arch. Tomáš Hradečný (1969) - architect. He studied at the Faculty of Architecture at ČVUT in Prague (1988-1995) and in 1998 co-founded the office HŠH architekti with Petr Hájek and Jan Šépka. In 1997-1998, he earned two first places in public architectural competitions: for the design of paving Jiřské náměstí at Prague Castle (1997, realization 1999-2002, 1st place in Public Space competition - Freiraum no2 in 2004) and for the solution of the Archdiocesan Museum in Olomouc (1998, realization 2000-2006, nomination for the Mies van der Rohe Award for the Czech Republic in 2006). From 1999 to 2003, he participated in the traveling exhibition "Spatial House," and in 2002, he took part in two group exhibitions - MEGA - Megamanifest in Künstlerhaus in Vienna and Un Salon Tchéque in IFA in Paris. The realization of a villa in Beroun received an award from Bauwelt magazine in 2005. Last year, he participated in the exhibition "Form Follows... Risk," presented in Prague and Bratislava, and won 3rd place in an international architectural competition for the National Library. From 2002 to 2004, he was a member of the CKA College of Registers, and since 2004 he has been a member of the Board of ČKA and since 2005 a member of the Board of the Society of Petr Parléř, o. p. s.
Ing. arch. Ivo Koukol - architect. Since the early 1990s, he has worked as a representative of the investor, client, or competition announcer and selection procedures. From 1993 to 2001, he served as the director of the Administration of Prague Castle and since 2001, he has been in the private sector (notably concept development and management of the new ČSOB headquarters project in Prague-Radlice and others).
Ing. arch. Igor Kovačević (1973) - architect. He graduated from the Faculty of Architecture at ČVUT in Prague (2000), and in the same year, he co-founded his own architectural studio with Yvette Vašourková. In 2001, he was one of the founders of the first independent architecture center in the Czech Republic - Center for Central European Architecture / CCEA. In 2004, he completed a fellowship at Masterclass Steel in Rotterdam. He is currently working on a doctoral thesis on "Yugoslav Architects Trained in the Czech Republic," and he is also engaged in curatorial and publishing activities.
Prof. Ing. arch. Miroslav Masák (1932) - architect. He graduated from the Faculty of Architecture and Civil Engineering at ČVUT in Prague (1952-1958). Since 1959, he worked in studio 2 of Stavoprojekt Liberec; in 1968, he became a founding member of SIAL and the founder and head of the Liberec Nursery. After politically motivated termination of activities, he returned to studio 2. From 1990 to 1993, he served as a professional advisor to the President of the Republic while also being tasked with the further development of Prague Castle. Since 1994, he has been an external instructor at the Faculty of Architecture at VUT Brno. Since 1995, he has worked in the working group of the Czech Chamber of Architects, where he was elected to the board in 1997 and tasked with leading the education sector for architects. In 1999, he was appointed professor of architecture at VUT. On February 23, 2007, he was awarded the ČKA Honor for the year 2006 as part of the SIAL Phenomenon roundtable at the Ateliér café in Liberec.
Ing. arch. MgA. Pavel Nasadil (1975) - architect. He studied at Eaton School in Norwich (UK), Faculty of Architecture at ČVUT in Prague, and the School of Architecture of Prof. Emil Přikryl at the AVU in Prague. During his studies, he worked in the studios of Masák and Partner and Studio A in Prague and also in the office of Feilden + Mawson Architects and Planners in Norwich. In 2005, he co-founded the architectural office FAM Architekti with architects Jan Horký and Tomáš Straka. The young studio has several realizations behind it (New Czech House in Velký Týnec, family house in Vřesina) and has made a name for itself particularly through projects with which it successfully participated in a number of architectural competitions in recent years (Solution for Mírové náměstí in Dobříš, Údolní 53 in Brno, YMCA Norwich, Seagulls Children's Centre, Gorleston, Pedestrian Zone Náchod…). Pavel Nasadil's diploma project "Ideal Hlučín" won first prize in the ČKA Diploma Works competition in 2005.
JUDr. PhDr. Jiří Plos (1952) - secretary of the Czech Chamber of Architects, educator at the Faculty of Architecture of ČVUT Prague (field of law and urbanism) and at the Faculty of Architecture TU Liberec (field of law and field of urban construction). He focuses on the theory and history of architecture and urbanism, theory of spatial (land use) planning, including strategic planning of municipalities, towns and regions, concentrating on law focusing on construction, authorized architects' professional practice, monument care, environmental issues including nature and landscape protection, and the organization and execution of public administration in the mentioned areas. He participates in the preparation of legal norms, development programs for municipalities, planning documentation. He provides expert consulting services in the field of spatial planning and in other mentioned fields for architects, public administration, and investors.
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