Jiří Střítecký and ATELIER 8000 Martin Krupauer – Jiří Střítecký

The exhibition, on the occasion of which a book of the same name is also being published, aims to honor the memory of architect Jiří Střítecký (14.3.1954 - 28.11.2012) with dignity. Martin Krupauer, who has been running Atelier 8000 alone since the untimely departure of his partner, said: "Half of my self has gone. He was an amazing guy, a friend, and an outstanding person." Both projects also serve as his reflection on the work of a friend, a close colleague, and a creator striving for harmony between the landscape and built space with the user; they summarize and present the work of Atelier 8000. Jiří Střítecký and Martin Krupauer founded it in 1989 in České Budějovice and led it, along with a branch in Prague, until November 2012.

In the Jaroslav Fragner Gallery, the works are presented from the "inside" perspective, as known, perceived, and shared by the architect's students and collaborators within Atelier 8000; the exhibition has both emotional and conventional levels, presenting a total of around seventy projects. The concept is a collective work of current and former colleagues and friends of Atelier 8000, created after three all-day workshops. The most expressive installations were selected and refined through joint efforts with support from people at Atelier 8000. It is a tribute, not an exhibition.

The first contact for visitors is an installation in front of the Bethlehem Chapel, a wooden three-armed staircase suspended in a tubular scaffolding structure. The author, Radko Květ, a Brno architect and Střítecký's friend, wrote about the work titled "Stairs to Heaven": "The first motif was Jiří's sketch of a roughly hewn staircase. It originated a month before his death when we were debating archetypes and his houses on water. The second motif was his early works and constructions. And finally, the keystone was the name of the Led Zeppelin song 'Stairway to Heaven'". The theme of the forecourt is rawness, sincerity, and piety, with the motto "come up to me" - both metaphorically and physically, up the stairs to the gallery.

On the wall in the foyer of the gallery, there is a large-format wallpaper featuring a view of Střítecký's beloved pond and a "timeline" composed of black-and-white collages of personal photographs as well as color images and visualizations of projects from Atelier 8000. There is also a typical workspace of Jiří Střítecký installed - around the Chlupáč table are pieces of furniture from his office, models, original designs, and paintings by artists Petr Písařík and Paly Paštika. The foyer serves as a connecting link between the outdoor rustic stairs and the multimedia main hall. At the entrance to the main hall is a mirror imprinted with the Střítecký figure titled "Meeting." The theme of the foyer is love for nature, work, and people, with the motto "I welcome you to my place."

In the darkened main hall, there is a "kinoautomat" and an object titled "head." The "kinoautomat" projects large photographs of selected realizations on the wall from two sides. The "head" is a glowing object which visitors can watch from the outside or enter. Co-authors and students of Střítecký, Jan Lapčík and Vladan Píša, state: "In the 'head,' there is a continuous flow of thoughts and stimuli represented by projected images, photos, videos, and audio. Life is not just work. This was doubly true for Jiří Střítecký. He loved life and everything that comes with it and drew inspiration for his 'extraordinary' designs from the experiences of 'ordinary' life." The projections in the "kinoautomat" and the "head" are interconnected and controlled by a media server, and the realization is the work of Rudolf Střítecký Jr. The theme of the main hall is inspiration, creation, and vitality, with the motto "look into the architect's head."

The catalog for the exhibition contains personal memories that provide perspectives on Jiří Střítecký as an architect and creator "from the outside." The book features contributions from leading theorists in the field of architecture, friends, associates, apprentices, and family members. The goal is to create the most diverse picture of the architect and the person for the careful reader of this "detective story." It also includes a "top thirteen" of realizations from Atelier 8000: the Bar Association, Golden Angel, Old Customs House, BB Center - Building A, the residential complex Hanspaulka (all in Prague); Československá obchodní banka, the Mercury Transport and Business Center, Pavilion T - Exhibition Grounds, Operational Complex of the Vltava Water Authority, Administrative Building 1.JVS (all in České Budějovice); a family house in Šestajovice; ponds and cottages in Dobčice; Veliň and the Vltava waterway. Furthermore, there are many other realizations, studies, and competition designs from Atelier 8000; the book also includes an English summary.

The exhibition and the book are not only a joyful remembrance of a friend and a courageous creator, but also an effort to bring the process of architectural creation and the general image of the architect closer to as wide an audience as possible.