ARCHICZECH
Czech and Prague Architecture
26. März 2009 - 07. Mai 2009
Exhibitions and events at the DAZ, the Czech Center Berlin and the Czech Embassy.
OPENING 25.03.2009
5.00 pm // Czech Center Berlin
Opening of the exhibition GREEN ARCHITECTURE.CZ
6.00 pm // Embassy of the Czech Republic
ARCHICZECH Opening of the festival and reception
Opening of the exhibitions NEW FACE OF PPRAGUE and VĚRA & VLADIMÍR MACHONIN
(Please register at: veranstaltungen_berlin@embassy.mzv.cz or Tel. +49-30-226 380)
8.30 pm // Deutsches Architektur Zentrum DAZ
ARCHICZECH Opening party with the Czech band HEY BABY
Opening of the exhibitions INTERCITY BERLIN-PRAHA and GENERATION+
More about the accompanying program
ARCHICZECH, a festival taking place within the Czech presidency of the European Union 2009, shows five exhibitions that present a spectrum of Czech architecture: VERA & VLADIMÍR MACHONIN is a retrospective on the couple’s architectural work of the 1960’s and 1970’s. GENERATION+ focuses on mapping opinions of three generations of Czech architects and how the different socio-political conditions have influenced their work. NEW FACE OF PRAGUE depicts the way the appearance of the Czech capital has transformed since the end of communism. A new awareness for environmentally friendly and energy efficient building has lead to a wide range of sustainable projects, shown in the exhibition GREEN ARCHITECTURE.CZ. Finally, the exhibition INTERCITY BERLIN-PRAHA presents a dialogue between today’s young generation of architects in these two metropolises.
INTERCITY BERLIN-PRAHA // Deutsches Architektur Zentrum DAZ
INTERCITY BERLIN-PRAHA is a series of dialogues taking place over ten years between young artists of various disciplines from Prague and Berlin. This current, fifth, year is dedicated to architecture, which is celebrated in this exhibition of current work by 8 practices from each town respectively. Common to both cities is the experience with totalitarian regimes in the recent past, and since the disappearance of the Iron Curtain tremendous opportunities for young architects to execute new and unusual projects have arisen in both metropolitan areas. The practices selected to take part are linked by their energetic and humorous approach to creating new niches for work. INTERCITY BERLIN-PRAHA illustrates common traits as well as differences in how a new generation of architects has shaped the architectural landscape and building environment of the two capitals. INTERCITY BERLIN-PRAHA presents projects from Berlin by Magma Architecture, Plus 4930 Architektur, raumlabor, Realities:United, Realarchitektur, Robertneun, Wilk-Salinas Architekten and Zanderroth Architekten, and from Prague by A69, Atelier K2, 4A, HŠH, CHAA-Chalupa architekti, KSA, OK Plan as well as by Sporadical. INTERCITY BERLIN-PRAHA is a project by Transmedia, Prague.
GENERATION+ // Deutsches Architektur Zentrum DAZ
GENERATION+ presents the work and statements by three generations of architects from the Czech Republic, whose work has been shaped by a range of diverse experiences. The generation 50+ was educated under a totalitarian regime, which continued to determine most of their working lives as well. The generation 40+ accomplished their studies and commenced work during the phase of socialism in the aftermath of the Prague Spring of 1968. They have been able to adapt their work to the radical alterations that have prevailed in the wake of the Velvet Revolution of 1989. Younger architects of the generation 30+ have studied and commenced working in today’s democratic Czech Republic. Is there a common link between the generations, or has the diverging socio-political experience of the past 50 years created a gap? The exhibition will pursue this investigation by giving voice to representatives from all generations. The focus will be on those architects who can contribute their personal experiences of political change. They reflect on higher and professional education, working practises, the quality of theoretical discourse, and the status of architects in today’s neo-liberal society. The presentation of “hidden”, that is unbuilt, work will provide particularly revealing insights. GENERATION+ is a project of the Center for European Architecture CCEA, Prague.
NEW FACE OF PRAGUE // Botschaft der Tschechischen Republik
NEW FACE OF PRAGUE shows how Prague has developed after the demise of communism. The display of more than 50 of the most important projects completed after 1990 provides a comprehensive introduction into the architectural scene of the Czech capital today. The scope ranges from residential, commercial and office, to hotel and restaurant architecture. It will not just feature iconic projects such as Frank Gehry’s dancing “Ginger & Fred” office building, but concentrate on successful, if internationally less acclaimed, examples of contemporary Czech architecture. The exhibition will explore the dynamics of Prague as affected by European as well as regional conditions. These will be put into historical context, but will also have to be perceived within the city’s expected growth. NEW FACE OF PRAGUE is thus exploring how planners and architects will deal with the booming metropolis in future. NEW FACE OF PRAGUE is a project by the Jaroslav Fragner Gallery, Prague.
VÌRA & VLADIMIR MACHONIN // Botschaft der Tschechischen Republik
The exhibition VÌRA & VLADIMÍR MACHONIN provides a retrospective of the work of this important Czech architects couple. Vìra Machoninová was born in 1928 and initially worked for the government planning institute, before setting up studio Alfa in 1967 with her husband Vladimír Machonin. During the post-1968 phase they were barred from continuing their collaboration and Vìra Machoninová went on alone, completing the the House of Dwelling Culture in Prague and the Hot Spa Hotel in Karlovy Vary. Resuming their collaboration post 1989 was tragically cut short by the death of Vladimír Machonin a year later. One of their principal buildings is the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Berlin-Mitte. Built between 1974 and 1978, it was one of only a couple of individual, new-build embassy buildings in the GDR. Whilst the façade of the concrete structure displays brutalist traits, the Embassy interior is characterized by bright colouring. The original nineteen seventies building is preserved intact, including its original interiors and custom designed furniture and fittings. The architect couple’s work can be experienced at first hand in this extraordinary ensemble. VÌRA & VLADIMÍR MACHONIN is a project by the Jaroslav Fragner Gallery, Prague.
GREEN ARCHITECTURE.CZ // Tschechisches Zentrum Berlin
GREEN ARCHITECTURE.CZ presents 50 contemporary examples of ecologically sustainable and energy efficient building in the Czech Republic. Sustainability is relatively new concern here. During the Seventies, limited resources were considered to be a problem of the West only. The exhibition therefore concentrates on the period following the Velvet Revolution of 1989, and in particular on developments subsequent to the year 2000. GREEN ARCHITECTURE.CZ presents a wide range of approaches to living in tune with natural conditions. The selected buildings not only address concerns about sustainable construction methods, but also represent a more general interest in the provision of a worthwhile environment. Examples of low-energy and “passive” homes are shown alongside residential buildings that merge with the surrounding landscape, and where materials and design are inspired by nature. GREEN ARCHITECTURE.CZ is a project by the Jaroslav Fragner Gallery, Prague.
ARCHICZECH is under the auspices of the Czech Minister for Foreign Affairs, Karel
Schwarzenberg, the embassador of the Czech Republic in Germany, S.E. Dr. Rudolf
Jindrák, and the Deputy Mayor of Prague, Markéta Reedová. The project is a cooperation
of Deutsches Architektur Zentrum DAZ, the Czech Center Berlin and the Jaroslav Fragner
Gallery in Prague in collaboration with the Embassy of the Czech Republic, Transmedia
and the Centre for Central European Architecture CCEA in Prague.
We kindly thank:
Kulturministerium der Tschechischen Republik / Hauptstadt Prag / Deutsch - Tschechischer Zukunftsfonds / Canon / Technoexport / Raiffeisen Bausparkasse / Tschechische Architektur - Stiftung / Bezirk Praha 5 / Bezirk Praha 1 / Nationalgalerie Prag / Nationales Technikmuseum Prag / Architekt / Tschechische Informationsagentur / DAZ - Unternehmenspartner (Trilux / Puk-Werke / Berker / Grohe / Kalzip / Miele / Steelcase / Viessmann / Reproplan)
Images:
1_ INTERCITY BERLIN-PRAHA / Project: Sanatorium Dr. Petáka, Františkovy Lázně 2001 / Architects: Atelier 69 (Prag) / Photo: Atelier 69
2_GENERATION + / Project: Máj Department Store, Prague / year of construction: 1975 / Architects: Miroslav Masák, John Eisler, Martin Rajniš / Photo: Pavel Štecha
3_ NEW FACE OF PRAGUE / Project: Palác Euro, Prague 2002 / Architects: DaM, Omicron-K / Photo: Filip Šlapal
4_VĚRA & VLADIMÍR MACHONIN / Project: House of Dwelling Culture, Prag, Realization: 1977 / Architect: Věra Machoninová / Photo: Jaroslav Franta
5_GREEN ARCHITECTURE.CZ / Project: Coat and Umbrella House, Mladá Boleslav–Michalovice, 2002 / Architect: Petr Suske – SEA / Photo: Ester Havlová
