November Talks 2024 will focus on materials

Four November Mondays will once again belong to the lecture series November Talks at the Faculty of Architecture of the Czech Technical University in Prague. Under the subtitle "On Material," the lectures will feature foreign architects. This year's edition will be opened on November 4 by Gilles Delalex.
“November Talks will focus on material as a fundamental element of building structures and its aesthetic, cultural, and political significance. We are interested in how materiality – what we build with – influences the sustainability of the construction industry. The aim is to offer a wide spectrum of approaches to material and its use in architecture,” says Miroslav Pazdera, curator of the lecture series.
The architects and collectives participating in this year’s November Talks share a common interest in materiality and the reevaluation of the approach to it. The series will be opened by Gilles Delalex from the Paris studio Muoto, which experiments with architecture and urbanism and draws inspiration from public spaces and their material possibilities. The collective Material Cultures focuses on the research of regenerative materials and their ecological and political implications. Maarten Gielen, founder of the Belgian collective Rotor and Rotor DC, is dedicated to researching and practicing the deconstruction of buildings and the reuse of construction materials to minimize waste and reconsider traditional building practices. Guido Brandi focuses on the theory and practice of circular construction and the reuse of materials.
Gilles Delalex leads the Paris architectural studio Muoto and is engaged in architecture, urbanism, design, as well as teaching and research. Since its founding, the office has realized various projects – from master plans and public buildings to housing and installations. Gilles graduated from the University of Art, Design, and Architecture in Helsinki and has studied in Grenoble, Montreal, Brussels, and Manchester. He serves as a professor at the Paris-Malaquais School of Architecture, where he heads the THP (Theory, History, Project) department and is one of the directors of the LIAT research laboratory focused on infrastructure. In his lecture, he will present a collection of texts, projects, and images titled Holy Highway, which addresses the topic of highways as the most radical public space.
The second speaker of the year will be Summer Islam – an architect and director of the architectural and research office Material Cultures. In her work, she examines the political ecology of building materials and the environmental consequences of using regenerative materials. She has guest lectured at ETH Zurich, taught at Central St Martins, UAL, London Metropolitan University, and the Bartlett School of Architecture at UCL. She is a PhD candidate in the RIOT laboratory at EPFL in Lausanne, where she researches the decarbonized built environment that prioritizes ecosystems over industry.
Designer and researcher Maarten Gielen has long been engaged in changing the way materials are used in architecture and construction. In 2006, he co-founded the studio Rotor, and in 2014 the sister office Rotor DC (Deconstruction). For his authorship, design, and project contribution, Maarten received the Maaskant Prize for Young Architects, one of the highest awards of its kind in the Benelux. He lectures at architecture and design schools in Europe, Asia, and the USA.
Guido Brandi is an architect and co-founder of the studio NUAR based in Zurich. Since 2018, he has been involved as a research assistant at the ZHAW Institute of Constructive Design. His work focuses on solving complex structural, logistical, and economic issues related to the reuse of construction materials. His lecture will focus on research in circular construction, presented through the analysis of the K118 building in Winterthur, Switzerland.
November Talks will take place over four Mondays starting November 4, each at 18:30 – November 4 (Gilles Delalex), November 11 (Material Cultures), November 18 (Maarten Gielen), and November 25 (Guido Brandi) – in Lecture Hall 155 Gočár, Faculty of Architecture, Czech Technical University, Thákurova 9, Prague 6.
The lectures in English are intended for the general public, entry is free and wheelchair accessible. The November Talks series has been supported since 2006 by the Sto Foundation and takes place annually at six selected European architecture schools.

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