Prophet in Prague
A significant figure of contemporary architecture has visited the Czech Republic after a long time (if not for the first time at all). In the mid-90s, brand architects came to Prague, where they set up one of their buildings, which could easily stand anywhere else in the world, and then disappeared. The central figure of Betsky's Generation 1.0 is not afraid to criticize these architectural old-timers.
MVRDV, unlike many local architects who still haven't resigned from quality, does not accept the fact that architecture should merely be a luxurious accessory in a sea of mediocrity. Their office chose the entire planet as a potential area of operation, which immediately convinced us. Analyzing the data of an entire country or a specific territorial unit reveals its true needs and vice versa.
I had the opportunity to see a lecture by Rem Koolhaas this April at the Berlage Institute in Rotterdam. His daughter company AMO collects and processes an unimaginable amount of seemingly disparate data. The results are surprising and so exhaustive that Koolhaas didn't even get to his architectural creation.
Winy Maas, a product of the OMA stable from the late 80s, uses similar analysis methods with an emphasis on greater practicality. The Czech translation of one of the examples of pioneering thinking - Pig City - was brought to you by ArchiWeb more than two years ago. The courage to work with the entire Dutch pig farming industry led to projections in art galleries, as well as lively discussions in professional agricultural circles. Seemingly unfeasible projects (Expo 2000, Silodam) are overshadowed by much more eccentric ones that arise under Winy Maas's direction at the Berlage Institute.
He is not afraid of imitation - the principle of imitation and invisible improvement of the existing has been the work of folk architecture since time immemorial. He is not afraid to include chaos in his work - he knows how to work with it scientifically and define it into a computer program. He is not afraid to delve into social housing - stars that fill magazine pages spend hundreds of millions on museums, libraries, or concert halls and avoid confronting quality architecture for little money.
He does not approach the client's requirements or the competitive conditions dogmatically. They make their lives bitter this way and miss out on hassle-free contracts. They could not even live in grayness. As we know from history, nothing grand or positive has ever arisen without confrontation. If you struggle in a village pond, you won’t grow to the size of fish in the ocean.
We witnessed a captivating show, full of images, animations, and fresh words. However, when at the end of the lecture, in the space provided for questions, someone expressed even the slightest doubt, Winy Maas transitioned to a hard defense of his fantastic ideas. He ended every defense with a rhetorical question with an open answer, yet not for a moment did he doubt the infallibility of his proposals.
More information about ARCHI ECHOS, Winy Maas and the projects of the MVRDV studio can be found at www.archiechos.com
For more information, please contact:
Monika Daďová, Corporate Communications Manager
Philips Czech Republic, Šafránkova 1, 155 00 Prague 5
tel.: 233 099 379, mobile: 606 737 513, monika.dadova@philips.com
Renata Vrabelová, Gallery of Architecture Brno
Starobrněnská 16/18, 602 00 Brno
Tel. 542 212 506, mobile: 777 117 392, email: info@ga-brno.cz
About Royal Philips Electronics
Royal Philips Electronics, Netherlands (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHI) is one of the largest electronics companies in the world and the largest electronics company in Europe with a turnover of EUR 29 billion in 2003. With activities in three interconnected fields - healthcare, lifestyle, and technology, and with 165,800 employees in over 60 countries worldwide, Philips occupies a global leadership position in medical systems for diagnostic imaging and patient monitoring, color televisions, electric shavers, lighting, and semiconductor solutions development. Information about Philips can be found at www.philips.com/newscenter.
About the Gallery of Architecture Brno
The Gallery of Architecture Brno is exclusively focused on presenting, educating, and promoting architecture through exhibitions, publications, organizing lectures, and social events. It is a sister gallery of the Prague Gallery Jaroslav Fragner, and both galleries operate with the support of the Czech Architecture Foundation. Information about the gallery is available at www.ga-brno.cz
MVRDV, unlike many local architects who still haven't resigned from quality, does not accept the fact that architecture should merely be a luxurious accessory in a sea of mediocrity. Their office chose the entire planet as a potential area of operation, which immediately convinced us. Analyzing the data of an entire country or a specific territorial unit reveals its true needs and vice versa.
I had the opportunity to see a lecture by Rem Koolhaas this April at the Berlage Institute in Rotterdam. His daughter company AMO collects and processes an unimaginable amount of seemingly disparate data. The results are surprising and so exhaustive that Koolhaas didn't even get to his architectural creation.
Winy Maas, a product of the OMA stable from the late 80s, uses similar analysis methods with an emphasis on greater practicality. The Czech translation of one of the examples of pioneering thinking - Pig City - was brought to you by ArchiWeb more than two years ago. The courage to work with the entire Dutch pig farming industry led to projections in art galleries, as well as lively discussions in professional agricultural circles. Seemingly unfeasible projects (Expo 2000, Silodam) are overshadowed by much more eccentric ones that arise under Winy Maas's direction at the Berlage Institute.
He is not afraid of imitation - the principle of imitation and invisible improvement of the existing has been the work of folk architecture since time immemorial. He is not afraid to include chaos in his work - he knows how to work with it scientifically and define it into a computer program. He is not afraid to delve into social housing - stars that fill magazine pages spend hundreds of millions on museums, libraries, or concert halls and avoid confronting quality architecture for little money.
He does not approach the client's requirements or the competitive conditions dogmatically. They make their lives bitter this way and miss out on hassle-free contracts. They could not even live in grayness. As we know from history, nothing grand or positive has ever arisen without confrontation. If you struggle in a village pond, you won’t grow to the size of fish in the ocean.
We witnessed a captivating show, full of images, animations, and fresh words. However, when at the end of the lecture, in the space provided for questions, someone expressed even the slightest doubt, Winy Maas transitioned to a hard defense of his fantastic ideas. He ended every defense with a rhetorical question with an open answer, yet not for a moment did he doubt the infallibility of his proposals.
Petr Šmídek
More information about ARCHI ECHOS, Winy Maas and the projects of the MVRDV studio can be found at www.archiechos.com
For more information, please contact:
Monika Daďová, Corporate Communications Manager
Philips Czech Republic, Šafránkova 1, 155 00 Prague 5
tel.: 233 099 379, mobile: 606 737 513, monika.dadova@philips.com
Renata Vrabelová, Gallery of Architecture Brno
Starobrněnská 16/18, 602 00 Brno
Tel. 542 212 506, mobile: 777 117 392, email: info@ga-brno.cz
About Royal Philips Electronics
Royal Philips Electronics, Netherlands (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHI) is one of the largest electronics companies in the world and the largest electronics company in Europe with a turnover of EUR 29 billion in 2003. With activities in three interconnected fields - healthcare, lifestyle, and technology, and with 165,800 employees in over 60 countries worldwide, Philips occupies a global leadership position in medical systems for diagnostic imaging and patient monitoring, color televisions, electric shavers, lighting, and semiconductor solutions development. Information about Philips can be found at www.philips.com/newscenter.
About the Gallery of Architecture Brno
The Gallery of Architecture Brno is exclusively focused on presenting, educating, and promoting architecture through exhibitions, publications, organizing lectures, and social events. It is a sister gallery of the Prague Gallery Jaroslav Fragner, and both galleries operate with the support of the Czech Architecture Foundation. Information about the gallery is available at www.ga-brno.cz
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