Rostislav Švácha: Angažovaný architekt?

"In the Bible, you do not join the majority when it commits evil; it was self-evident for us, and equally self-evident was our willingness to engage in public matters. And that, even in critical moments." Miroslav Masák

Miroslav Masák (*1932) made a significant mark on the history of Czech architecture over the past six decades. In 1968, he co-founded the renowned Liberec association Sial with the architect of the Ještěd tower, Karel Hubáček, and organized the Sial Kindergarten, where the most talented young Czech architects of the time gathered. Important works that Masák contributed to include the Ještěd shopping center in Liberec, demolished in 2009, the Máj department store in Prague, and the reconstruction of the Prague Exhibition Palace. After November 1989, as an assistant to President Havel, he was involved in the accessibility of Prague Castle and later distinguished himself as a teacher of architecture and as a juror in many successful architectural competitions. Architectural historian Rostislav Švácha writes about the transformations of Masák's work in the book, with chapters accompanied by Masák's comments on his most significant projects and buildings, as well as his theoretical texts from 1966–2019. The book is published as the first volume of the series On the Mission of Architects.