Den architektury 2026 - I live, therefore I am

Architecture Day presents the complete program for its 16th year, which will take place from Thursday, October 1, to Wednesday, October 7, in over a hundred cities and municipalities across the country and Slovakia. Under the motto "I live, therefore I am," this year's focus will be on housing as one of the most fundamental topics of contemporary society. Hundreds of free-access excursions and walks will guide visitors to buildings that are usually not accessible, as well as well-known places, which they will get to know from a new perspective thanks to guides. The festival will showcase the transformations of housing from historical apartment buildings, villas, and workers’ colonies to housing estates and collective living experiments, as well as contemporary residential projects and alternative forms of home. It will also open discussions about housing affordability, changes in urban landscapes, and possible future solutions. There will be numerous debates and lectures on the topic of housing, including speakers such as Vladimír 518, Adam Štěch, and Hana Řepková.

The events are free; however, some will require prior registration due to limited capacity, which will open on September 13. The accompanying program may be subject to fees. The festival will also include the film series "Film and Architecture." More information is available at www.denarchitektury.cz.

This year’s edition follows how the forms of housing have changed over centuries along with society, lifestyles, and cities. It will present both its representative and modest forms. “Housing is one of the topics that touches practically everyone today. It's not just about the buildings themselves, but also about the shape of cities, the quality of public space, and interpersonal relationships. This year’s edition thereby opens the question of what role home plays in our everyday lives and how concepts of housing are changing across generations. There will also be a critical look at the present, particularly regarding housing affordability, city transformations, and the search for new solutions,” says the director and founder of the festival, Marcela Steinbachová.

How do we live today and how will we live tomorrow?
The festival will include visits to the new Drdla Residence in Žďár nad Sázavou, which showcases one path to affordable housing, the Příční Residence in Brno, the House for Julie, the first children’s hospice in the Czech Republic and holder of the Czech Architecture Award, and the Prague Residence U Pergamenky, which reflects the industrial character of the area. Attention will also be paid to alternative forms of home, from community housing at the Social Cooperative Racek in Děčín to living on a houseboat at Prague’s Císařská louka. The theme of sustainability will run throughout the program. In Plzeň, for instance, visitors will be able to explore the new Patronus House with its green façade. Other events will focus on rainwater management, urban overheating, biodiversity promotion, and the importance of green spaces, inner blocks, front gardens, and community gardens. Future forms of housing will be discussed in lectures and discussions about its affordability, social and community projects, gentrification, and new forms of ownership. In Prague, there will be debates on the causes of the housing crisis, large development projects, and experiences from Helsinki, while Adam Štěch’s lecture will present extraordinary residential buildings and interiors from around the world. In Brno, a panel discussion will focus on the Housing First principle and the right to housing.

From Koldom to panel buildings
Mass residential construction in the second half of the 20th century has left a significant mark on Czech cities. The festival will focus not only on everyday life and today’s transformations of housing estates but also on their architectural qualities and concepts of public space. In Prague, it will showcase Ďáblice, often regarded as one of the most successful housing estates in Prague, in Brno, it will lead to Lesná, valued for its integration of greenery in building, and in České Budějovice, it will recall the quality and experimental beginnings of panel construction. The program will also focus on housing estates in several other cities that have been fundamentally transformed. Vladimir 518 will discuss their phenomenon in a lecture organized in cooperation with Czech Radio Vltava. Bold experiments of the 1950s will be represented by the legendary Koldom in Litvínov, six highly regarded high-rises in Kladno, and the socialist realism of Ostrov from the 1950s.

Apartment buildings, famous villas, and workers' colonies
The first half of the 20th century also saw a boom in construction. The festival will recall modern apartment buildings, new villa districts, and entire residential complexes. In Prague, it will guide visitors to the monumental functionalist Molochov in Letná or to employees' housing estates in Žižkov. In Brno, it will highlight the colony of Nový dům and First Republic villas designed by Jewish architects in Pisárky. Visitors will also have access to Medova villa in Humpolec or Zelenkov's villa in Kutná Hora. It will delve deeper into history: in Brno, it will point out the Art Nouveau apartment buildings of Maximilian Johann Montera and Reissig’s villa, once regarded as the most modern house in Austria-Hungary; in Olomouc, it will focus on the Primavesi villa. In Karlovy Vary, it will concentrate on historical lifts hidden in spa buildings, villas, and hotels. In contrast to representative villas, there were workers', mining, and employee colonies. The festival will direct visitors to workers' houses in Kladno, Louny, Most, and Brno, with one of the festival routes in Prague following former emergency colonies.

The second life of buildings and the latest realizations
Alongside the main theme of housing, the Architecture Day traditionally also focuses on prominent new constructions and successful reconstructions. This year, for instance, it will invite visitors to the new Horácká multi-functional arena in Jihlava, showcase the renovation of the Forest Swimming Pool in Liberec, or the newly opened library in Turnov. In Jablonec nad Nisou, it will present the future transformation of a former children's hospital into an apartment building, and in Kopřivnice, a planned reconstruction of a former elementary school into housing with a city library. Other events will demonstrate the possibilities of new uses for industrial sites and other buildings where new apartments, social services, or spaces for community life can emerge.

Significant personalities in architecture and beyond
This year's program will also commemorate several important anniversaries. To mark the 140th birthday of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Architecture Day will revisit his work and legacy in Opava, Čelákovice, and Prague. The posthumous 90th birthday of Václav Havel will be marked by tours highlighting the post-revolutionary changes at Prague Castle and the Lány Chateau. Significant attention will also be given to Tomáš Baťa, whose 150th birthday occurs this year. The program will highlight his influence on Zlín's shape and modern corporate housing. Following the architect František Albert Libra, visitors will trace his legacy in Prague, Žatec, and other cities on the 135th anniversary of his birth.

Exploring architecture on the move and with children
Architecture can be discovered on foot, by bike, and during runs. In several cities, there will be cycling tours and architectural runs, with the program supplemented by workshops, exhibitions, screenings, and pub quizzes. Children can try their hand at the work of architects in art workshops, games, and other activities and learn how houses and entire cities are created.

Film and architecture
The current season will be followed by the sister international film festival "Film and Architecture." From Wednesday, September 30, to Monday, October 5, it will showcase the latest international film productions in Prague, Brno, and several other cities, focusing on various forms of home. Under the motto To live or not to live, it will offer films about collective and affordable housing, transformations of cities and public spaces, architectural visions affecting everyday life, and the impacts of gentrification on contemporary cities.

Both festivals are organized by the Kruh association, which has been one of the most significant promoters of contemporary domestic and world architecture in the Czech Republic for 26 years. The Architecture Day festival is created in collaboration with local associations, institutions, and experts in the fields of architecture, urban planning, and city care.

Links:
Website: www.denarchitektury.cz
Facebook: www.facebook.com/den.architektury
Instagram: www.instagram.com/den.architektury/

Locations of the Architecture Day festival:
Banská Bystrica, Bardejov, Bílina, Boršov nad Vltavou, Boskovice, Bratislava, Brno, Bruntál, Bylany near Kutná Hora, Čáslav, Čelákovice, Černošice, Česká Skalice, Česká Třebová, České Budějovice, Český Krumlov, Děčín, Dobříš, Dolní Bolíkov, Domažlice, Fryšava under Žáková Hora, Galanta, Havířov, Havlíčkův Brod, Heřmanův Městec, Hlohovec, Holasovice, Holíč, Hradec Králové, Hranice, Humpolec, Cheb, Ivančice, Jablonec nad Nisou, Jaroměř, Jičín, Jihlava, Jindřichův Hradec, Kamenice nad Lipou, Kamenický Šenov, Karlovy Vary, Kladno, Kladruby near Stříbro, Kolín, Koloděje near Lužnice, Kopřivnice, Koryčany, Košice, Košetice, Kralovice - Mariánský Týnec, Kremnica, Krnov, Kutná Hora, Lanškroun, Lány, Lázně Bělohrad, Liberec, Lidice, Litoměřice, Litomyšl, Litvínov, Lom, Louny, Luhačovice, Lutín, Malacky, Mariánské Lázně, Martin, Mělník, Mnichovo Hradiště, Most, Nitra, Nové Mesto nad Váhom, Nymburk, Olomouc, Opava, Ostopovice, Ostrava, Ostrov, Pardubice, Partizánske, Pavlov, Petrovice u Chabařovic, Piešťany, Písek, Plzeň, Police nad Metují, Poprad, Praha, Prostějov, Přerov, Přeštice, Revúca, Roztoky, Rožnov pod Radhoštěm, Rumburk, Ružomberok, Řevnice, Sázava, Sereď, Slatiňany, Slavonice, Strašín, Svit, Šumperk, Tábor, Telč, Trenčín, Trnava, Turnov, Uherský Ostroh, Ústí nad Labem, Ústí nad Orlicí, Valašské Meziříčí, Velešín, Velvary, Vimperk, Vizovice, Volyně, Vratislavice nad Nisou, Vsetín, Vyšné Hágy, Zdislava, Zlaté Moravce, Zlín, Zvolen, Zvírotice, Žamberk, Žatec, Žďár nad Sázavou, Žiar nad Hronom, Žilina