The exhibition showcases three projects by foreign architects for cities in the Czech Republic

Prague - Today, the exhibition Visions for the Future subtitled Foreign Architects in Prague, Brno, and Ostrava will have its grand opening in the Winternitz Villa in Prague. The exhibition presents several projects in three cities in the Czech Republic prepared by foreign architects or studios. The exhibition has been accessible since December 20 and will run until February 22.

The capital city of Prague is represented at the exhibition by the Savarin complex designed by the British studio of Thomas Heatherwick, Brno features a new main train station by the Dutch firm Benthem Crouwel, and Ostrava presents a concert hall project by the American architect Steven Holl. The curator of the exhibition is architectural theorist and publicist Adam Štěch.

The exhibition unveils a sample of global architectural work. "We decided to present three projects of different character and typology," Štěch stated. According to experts, there is a lack of modern and visionary architecture associated with a big name in the Czech Republic. The implementation of these three projects could change that, according to the exhibition's organizers.

Thomas Heatherwick is a British architect and designer whose work, according to the exhibition's authors, is characterized by ingenuity, creativity, and originality. In 2019, he unveiled plans for the reconstruction and expansion of the inner courtyard section of the Baroque Savarin Palace on Na Příkopě street in the center of Prague. The construction is designed around the historic 18th-century riding hall building, which becomes the focal point of the entire complex. Heatherwick drew inspiration from the appearance of Prague's corridors and balconies when designing new parts, creating an open outdoor promenade around the riding hall.

The new main train station in Brno will be built according to the design of the Dutch studio Benthem Crouwel Architects, which is behind the Rotterdam train station project and the reconstruction and extension of the Amsterdam train station. The project anticipates a smooth integration into the urban network and enriching the public life of the new district.

Architect Steven Holl, who was named America's best architect by Time magazine, was invited to the competition for the concert hall in Ostrava by the Czech architectural studio Architecture Acts, founded by Hana Petříková and Martin Kropáč. Steven Holl and his collaborators will connect the existing House of Culture of the City of Ostrava, designed by architect Jaroslav Fragner in the 1950s, with the new concert hall with a capacity of 1,300 spectators. The new organically rounded shape of the philharmonic is designed to float above the existing building like a steel cloud.

Contemporary architecture does not receive unequivocally positive reception from the public in the Czech Republic. The most notable example of such resistance was the planned new building of the National Library designed by Jan Kaplický, which was never realized. It will be 15 years since the announcement of the results of the international competition this year.