ArchiMyšl 2018 - Světový den architektury v Litomyšli

On the eve of Czech Statehood Day, Thursday, September 27, there will be an afternoon happening at Smetanovo Square called Meet Your Saint and Other Historical Figures. This will be followed by a gathering at Toulovec Square at 4:30 PM, where, together with local clergy from Litomyšl, we will express our gratitude for the past and ask for the future of not only our city.



From Friday to Sunday, you can come to the Church of the Discovery of the Holy Cross for a film screening about the revitalization of the castle hill. As always, Friday at 5 PM features the opening of an exhibition at the regional museum. The exhibition Castle 1568 – 450 Years Since the Laying of the Foundation Stone of the Castle in Litomyšl will showcase the castle's development, its owners, and a number of lesser-known facts or hidden truths. At 7 PM, we have prepared a guided tour of the newly reconstructed Sokol cinema, followed by a screening of the film Journey Around the Castle with Olbram Zoubek. And at 8:30 PM, you can join a nighttime architectural tour of the castle hill.

We are pleased that as part of the Saturday program, we can invite you to locations typically not open to the public. From 10 AM to 12 PM, you can explore the interior of the university library in the annex of the Piarist College, and from 10 AM to 5 PM, the studios of the Faculty of Restoration. Don’t miss the tour of the former August Printing House at 10 AM and 11 AM, which, with new owners, hopefully awaits better times. This year, the popular guided ride around the buildings of modern architecture in Litomyšl will also take place. Once again, our guide will be city architect Zdeňka Vydrová, and you'll also receive a small snack included in the ticket price (80 CZK). Due to capacity reasons, we recommend registering in advance at the information center.

At 2 PM, there is a guided tour called The Castle of Litomyšl Through the Eyes of the Builder. The guide will be Eliška Racková from the National Heritage Institute Pardubice, who will take visitors into normally inaccessible areas, including the roofs. At 4 PM, you can come to Coworking Kočárovna for wine with Zdeňek Sklenář on the topic of 1art and 2art, From Fairy Tale to Fairy Tale, and other projects.



On Saturday at 6 PM, we invite you once again for beer with architects—this time in the Exhibition Hall of the Castle Brewery (entrance through the brewery courtyard). The main topic of the discussion, moderated by Pavlína Kvapilová, will be the development of the castle hill from the laying of the foundation stone to the present day. The opening speech will be delivered by architect and exhibition author at the regional museum, Eliška Racková. Do you think that the contemporary renewal of the castle hill has been successful? Is it right to relocate the children's pavilion from the UNESCO heritage site? Should events be held in a 450-year-old monument? Come and ask your questions—the entrance is free and the first barrel of beer is again on the house. The evening will also feature the unveiling of a new platinum coin issued by the Czech Mint on the occasion of the 450th anniversary of the castle. The ceremony will be attended by the coin's designer, Lenka Nebeská. The platinum coin weighs 31.1 grams and has a diameter of 37 mm, available for 47,950 CZK, in proof quality. This is the fifth platinum coin in the cycle of Czech UNESCO heritage sites. Coins already presented in the series include: The Historic Center of Český Krumlov, the Lednice-Valtice Area, Holašovice, and the Gardens and Castle in Kroměříž. The issue is always limited to 100 pieces.

It seems that the idea of year-round Spa of the Spirit appeals to you. The atmosphere of last year's City Swing Ball in Sneakers was proof of this. Therefore, we have decided to continue organizing this event. We will meet in the halls on the castle hill, with the swing band The Mole's Wing Orchestra playing, and the dance group Swing Busters teaching swing dancing. And come in sneakers—you'll see how comfortable you'll feel and how well you'll swing.

On Sunday morning, a guided tour of the Castle Brewery during the time of František Škroup is prepared for you. Eliška Racková will present the brewery not only in terms of architecture but also its operation at the time when Bedřich Smetana's father was the brewmaster.
With the exception of the interactive program Litomyšl at Your Fingertips, which is intended for the second stage of elementary schools and high schools, the Church of the Discovery of the Holy Cross will primarily focus on polystyrene on Monday. On the occasion of the exhibition Uroboros Polystyrene, there will be a workshop as well as a lecture with a discussion. What do we know about polystyrene? Is it a helper or an ecological and visual threat? How does insulation work, and can we avoid the irreversible loss of façade elements? Responding to these questions will be RNDr. Zbyněk Pientka, CSc. from the Macromolecular Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences and Ing. arch. Jiří Vítek.