November Talks 2021 - invitation to the lecture series

The lecture series November Talks returns to the Faculty of Architecture at Czech Technical University after a year-long break. It will showcase internationally successful personalities who are not afraid to take risks in their professional lives. Among others, architect Eva Jiřičná will share her experiences.
The holder of several awards from the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), Alison Brooks, laureate of the Slovenian Plečnik Prize Maruša Zorec, and recipient of the Order of the British Empire Eva Jiřičná will present their work and approach to a profession that is still considered predominantly male. They will be joined by architect, urban planner, and researcher Matthew Carmona, a professor at the Bartlett School of Planning.
“Men take more risks than women. This is a fact demonstrated in various studies over the years and explained by economic and evolutionary reasons. It has also been shown that these differences are amplified under stress: men become even bolder while women become more cautious. However, the current presenters prove that this rule may not hold true, as they reveal their art of creating the material world and reflecting on that material world,” adds Irena Fialová, Vice-Dean for International Relations at the Faculty of Architecture at Czech Technical University.
The lectures will take place every Monday at 6 PM, on the dates of November 8 (Alison Brooks - Alison Brooks Architects, GB), November 15 (Maruša Zorec - ARREA arhitektura, SL), November 22 (Eva Jiřičná - AI - Design, CZ), and November 29 (Matthew Carmona - Bartlett School of Planning, GB) in the Gočár lecture hall, Faculty of Architecture, Czech Technical University in Prague, Thákurova 9, Prague 6 - Dejvice.
The lectures in English are intended for the general public, free admission, wheelchair accessible. The program will also be broadcast on the YouTube channel. A welcome drink will be available from 5:30 PM, along with an informal meeting with the speakers.
The November Talks lecture series has been supported since 2006 by the Sto Foundation at European schools of architecture. This year it also takes place in London, Paris, Venice, Stuttgart, and Graz.

November Talks 2021 Program at FA ČVUT:
November 8, 2021 Alison Brooks 
November 15, 2021 Maruša Zorec
November 22, 2021 Eva Jiřičná
November 29, 2021 Matthew Carmona

Information about the speakers:
Alison Brooks – Alison Brooks Architects 
Alison Brooks is an award-winning and internationally recognized architect in the United Kingdom. She founded her practice Alison Brooks Architects in 1996. Her work includes urban design projects, residential buildings, and public structures for education and culture. Alison Brooks, as the only British architect, has received all three of the profession's three most prestigious architecture awards: the RIBA Stirling Prize, the Manser Medal, and the Stephen Lawrence Prize.

Maruša Zorec – ARREA arhitektura 
Maruša Zorec is a Slovenian architect, who along with her colleagues from ARREA arhitektura has received several national awards, such as the Prešeren Prize, the Plečnik Prize, the Piranesi Prize, and the Stele Prize for the protection of Slovenian cultural heritage. Their projects to restore Plečnik's house or the annex of the castle in Ormož are appreciated for their sensitive yet bold approach to restoring historical buildings. A typical aspect is the reduction of historical architecture to key principles, which, along with the new intervention, take on new meaning.

Eva Jiřičná –  AI – Design
Eva Jiřičná is a world-renowned architect and designer of Czech origin. Her two architectural studios – Eva Jiricna Architects Ltd. (1982–2017) in London and AI Design, which she founded in 1999 in Prague, are best known for luxury interior designs. Among her most recognized works in the Czech Republic are the orangery at Prague Castle, the congress center in Zlín, and the Hotel Josef in Prague. Eva Jiřičná is a holder of the Order of the British Empire, was elected a member of the Royal Academy of Arts, and inducted into the American Hall of Fame. She holds honorary doctorates from several world universities and received the State Award from the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic in 2009.

Matthew Carmona – Bartlett School of Planning
Matthew Carmona is a prominent architect-urban planner focused on urban planning. He is a professor at the Bartlett School of Planning at University College London, where he teaches urban planning and urbanism. His research focuses on the management of urban design and public space. He chairs the Place Alliance movement for the quality of built environments and is the author of 12 books, which underpin the teaching of urbanism at many schools. In Prague, as a jury member, he participates in organizing the Florenc 21 competition for the revitalization of the Masaryk Station area.

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