reSITE 2017: The Future of (Cities) is Determined by Women

Around 60% of the confirmed guests at reSITE 2017, which will focus on the anatomy of the city and visible as well as invisible infrastructures, will be women. This high number is very unusual in fields such as architecture and urban development. "These exceptional individuals represent the voice of a generation of women who have projected their vision of future cities into architecture. They have succeeded through hard work, precision, tenacity, and inspiration. The trend is also noticeable in the increasing number of female mayors; besides Prague, women govern the city halls of Paris, Tokyo, Barcelona, Rome, and Baghdad. We invited these top experts not to give them a chance to speak but because they have already demonstrated something fundamental through their realizations and advanced the entire profession," stated reSITE's program director Osamu Okamura.
In addition to lectures and discussions, reSITE will host engaging workshops. The floating workshop Luxury for All, led by the Berlin studio ZK/U, will, for example, contemplate the potential of urban ferries, specifically the HolKa boat. Following last year's Play the City experiment, this year will see an instant architectural game, Just Add People with Gilly Karjevsky from Berlin. There will be over 10 workshops to choose from, all included in the base ticket price.

Who will speak at reSITE 2017: lectures and workshops

Kazuyo Sejima, the second woman in history to receive the "Nobel Prize for Architects," the Pritzker Prize. In the same year – 2010 – she was also the curator of the Venice Architecture Biennale, the first woman ever to do so. In her presentation, she will showcase her latest realizations of cultural and educational buildings. The Tokyo studio SANAA is considered one of the most sought-after architects for museums and art galleries, with projects including the New Museum in New York, the Louvre branch in northern France's Lens, as well as the newly planned National Gallery project in Budapest. SANAA is also participating in the competition for the renovation of the Trade Fair Palace in Prague.

Kathryn Gustafson, a renowned landscape architect based in London and Seattle, known for the breathtaking design of the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain in Hyde Park and Chicago's Millennium Park. With her genius sense, she brings sculptural aspects to the landscape and can seamlessly combine architectural elements with the physical environment, with respect for biology, the environment, and the cultural history of the place.

Leni Schwendinger, a world leader in lighting design, the founder of NightSeeing™ with over 20 years of experience designing lighting for public spaces worldwide. She will introduce the concept of NightSeeing™ for the first time in Prague, which raises awareness of the role of light and shadow in cities and generally about public spaces after dark. During a guided walk, she will convey theoretical insights in an accessible manner for both the general public and professionals.

Fonna Forman and Teddy Cruz are co-founders of Estudio Teddy Cruz + Forman, focusing on the politics of urban planning and infrastructure. Both are also professors at the University of California, San Diego. They will bring the highly controversial topic of Trump's border wall between Mexico and the USA. Using the case of the cities of San Diego and Tijuana, which they have been studying long-term, they will highlight the impacts on urban development, local economy, architecture, and people's lives.

Caroline Bos from Amsterdam's UNStudio will amaze us with realizations of transport hubs. She has completed buildings such as the futuristic main station with organic shapes in Arnhem and the Erasmus Bridge in Rotterdam.

Jean-Louis Missika, Deputy Mayor of Paris responsible for urban planning, architecture, economic development, and the city's attractiveness, works alongside Mayor Anne Hidalgo. He will present one of the world's largest and most ambitious urban projects, Réinventer Paris, fully built on participation, which in a single call found new uses and investors for 23 city-owned sites in the Paris metropolis. An example transferable to cities of any size.

Marlena Happach, Chief Architect of the City of Warsaw. Warsaw has experienced years of rapid development and innovation.

Martina Ableidinger, head of waste management in Vienna, will share the most innovative strategies in municipal waste management, resulting in energy savings, significantly cleaner streets, and the reuse of unnecessary but still functional household items.

Enric Batlle, Batlle i Roig Arquitectes. A renowned landscape architect and architecture professor. His waste processing plant in Vacarisses near Barcelona has been declared the most energy-efficient building in the world. He has also carried out the reclamation of landfill sites.

Information architects Amanda Taylor and Jacopo Hirschstein from the London studio Tekja will present the Situational Room of the City of Prague, which can visualize data generated by the city's residents in real-time. They will lead a workshop at reSITE. Tekja studio is also showcased as part of the grand exhibition Big Bang Data at the DOX Centre for Contemporary Art.

Gilly Karjevsky, a curator working at the intersection of art, architecture, and urban settlement politics. She will lead the instant architectural intervention game Just Add People at reSITE, aimed at developing relationships between people, objects, and the environment.

Overall, reSITE 2017 will feature 40 globally renowned women and men who are pushing the boundaries of thinking about urban space, and whose inspiring work gives cities a new dynamic. They will appear as some of the most progressive representatives of their fields, shaping the future of cities into pleasant, safe, and sustainable places for every individual and the upcoming generation. They will show the impact of urban planning on their economy.

Tickets on sale

Registrations are taking place online, and tickets are traditionally divided into three price levels for professionals, municipal authorities, non-profits, and students with the option to purchase a VIP package. Beyond the conference program full of lectures and discussions, reSITE will offer the most innovative formats yet, including interactive games, workshops, roundtables, and bar crawls as networking opportunities. Workshops are included in the base ticket price!

reSITE offers discounts to members of SMOČR, the Association of Developers, the Czech Chamber of Architects, and ARTN.

What: reSITE 2017: In/visible City
When: June 22-23, 2017
Public program: June 21-24, 2017
Where: Forum Karlín, Pernerova 53, Prague 8
Info: www.resite.org
Registration: http://resite.cz/cs/registration/