To the exhibition of Steven Holl in Ostrava

Tadeáš Goryczka from the Ostrava Cabinet of Architecture has managed to bring another world exhibition to the Czech Republic. With the arrival of autumn, a traveling exhibition dedicated to American architect Steven Holl opened at the Gallery of Fine Arts in Ostrava, which moved here from nearby Wrocław after the summer and had previously been presented on American and Asian soil (New York, Seoul, Nanking, Shanghai, Tokyo, Seattle, Houston). The exhibition began its journey in 2018 at the SDMA in New Paltz, New York, and the Ostrava GVUO is the tenth location it has visited. The exhibition features sketches, models, and photographs of eleven completed or under-construction buildings from Holl's studio. The twelfth project is a concert hall for the Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava, which is expected to start construction exactly one year from now. The winning design, resembling a giant case for a musical instrument, complements the Cultural House by Jaroslav Fragner from the period of socialist realism. The excitement for the new concert hall is evident as both the director of GVUO and the mayor of Ostrava Tomáš Macura, as well as the cultural deputy of the Moravian-Silesian region Lukáš Curylo, spoke positively about the project at the opening, while the exhibition is under the patronage of Minister of Culture Lubomír Zaorálek and the Embassy of the USA in Prague. At the very beginning of the Ostrava exhibition, the Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava performed the opening fanfare of Janáček's Sinfonietta, followed by the architect's transatlantic greeting after the speeches of thanks. Steven Holl personally introduced himself to the Czech audience at the end of August this year, during a brief appearance at the Prague conference New Dimensions organized by the European Association for Architectural Education, and he is expected to return to Ostrava on October 14, 2021, to discuss not only the theme of the upcoming concert hall for Ostrava or the current exhibition at the House of Art, but also his relationship with music and his ambitions as an educator. Holl draws inspiration for his designs from music, but he has never had the opportunity to design a building primarily intended for musicians, so his words about the importance he places on the Ostrava concert hall are not spoken out of mere politeness.
The exhibition Steven Holl. Making Architecture Ostrava is the first opportunity for the Czech audience to familiarize themselves with Holl's current work. Until now, Czech enthusiasts had to travel abroad or settle for a small reconstruction in a back yard in Prague's Josefov, where he, along with Marcela Steinbachová, created a cultural center for the Franz Kafka Society. It is even more gratifying that the Czech environment will soon have its own distinct Holl realization, which is already attracting international attention. The Ostrava exhibition is accompanied by a rich program including discussions and guided tours. You can view the exhibition at GVUO until December 5, 2021.

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