Course detail

Contemporary Czech Architecture

FA-SOA-TEAcad. year: 2023/2024

This cycle of lectures provides an overview of the latest architecture in the Czech Republic which has not been included in publications, but which is partially described in journals. The lecturer is in everyday contact with the contemporary architects and publishes articles about them, thus he is able to give students a close look on the contemporary Czech scene.
Students will acquire professional English terminology and learn about contemporary topics in architecture and thus they will improve their chances to find work in the international context.

Language of instruction

English

Number of ECTS credits

2

Mode of study

Not applicable.

Guarantor

MgA. Ing. arch. Petr Šmídek, Ph.D.

Department

Department of Theory (UT)

Offered to foreign students

Of all faculties

Entry knowledge

Not applicable.

Rules for evaluation and completion of the course

Based on the lectures, students will learn to place buildings and their authors into the context of continuous history of architecture. At the end of the course, students will elaborate a presentation about their architectural interests that they will present to the fellow course participants. Students will prove their knowledge of contemporary architecture in the follow-up discussion.
In the case of a student's apology and with approval of the course guarantor, personal participation may be substituted with online participation in the lesson.

Aims

The course aims to locate the contemporary Czech architects into the historical context. To teach students how to perceive the contemporary Czech architecture in depth, and as a continuous development. To introduce students to the theory, and then to go on an excursion to the field, and to familiarize with the structures directly on-site. Similarly, the course stimulates students to visit exhibitions and lectures given by the architects in question. The goal is to awaken students’ interest in buildings and in their creators, so that consequently the students would start searching for the architects, try to contact them on their own, and eventually start a cooperation.
  • Students will have an overview of the contemporary Czech architecture.
  • Students will learn to place buildings and their authors into the continuous history of architecture.
  • Students will learn to perceive the present-day architectural development in the context.

Study aids

Not applicable.

Prerequisites and corequisites

Not applicable.

Basic literature

STEMPEL, Jan; TESAŘ, Jan; BENEŠ Ondřej. Czech houses. České domy. Praha: KANT, 2014. ISBN 978-80-7437-140-0. (EN)
HLAVÁČKOVÁ, Petra; KORYČÁNEK, Rostislav; SVOBODOVÁ, Šárka; VALDHANSOVÁ, Lucie. Brno Architecture Manual. Brno: Dům umění města Brna, 2017. ISBN 978-80-7009-180-7. (EN)
KRATOCHVÍL, Petr; ŠENK, Filip, (Ed.). Architektura mimo centra. Architecture Outside the Centres. Liberec: FUA TUL, 2013. ISBN 978-80-7494-052-1. (EN)
ŠVÁCHA, Rostislav. Czech architecture and its austerity. fifty buildings 1989–2004, Praha: Prostor 2004. ISBN 978-8090325746 (EN)

Recommended reading

Not applicable.

Classification of course in study plans

  • Programme BX_A+U Bachelor's

    branch ARCH , 1. year of study, summer semester, elective

  • Programme N_A+U Master's, 1. year of study, summer semester, elective
    specialization --- (do 2022) , 1. year of study, summer semester, elective
  • Programme NX_A+U Master's, 1. year of study, summer semester, elective

Type of course unit

 

Lecture

13 hours, optionally

Teacher / Lecturer

MgA. Ing. arch. Petr Šmídek, Ph.D.

Syllabus

  1. Around the school – examples of contemporary architecture around the faculty
  2. Public Brno – examples of public buildings in Brno that can be visited
  3. Young Brno generation – the youngest Brno scene
  4. Young Czech architects –  the youngest Czech scene
  5. Local heroes I – studios operating outside the centres
  6. Local heroes II – studios operating outside the centres
  7. Czech minimalism – Czech representatives of the minimalist movement
  8. Their own style – Czech architects with their own unique style
  9. Prague scene I – contemporary architecture of the capital city
  10. Prague scene II – contemporary architecture of the capital city
  11. Prague scene III – contemporary architecture of the capital city
  12. Old masters - the influence of personalities from the 2nd half of the 20th century on the present
  13. Litomyšl –  epicentre of Czech contemporary architecture and its followers (connected with an excursion)