The conference on the education of architects will be opened with a lecture by Steven Holl

Prague – A lecture by the famous American architect Steven Holl on August 25 will kick off a conference on architectural education. The event will be in a hybrid format, allowing people to stream it via links on the website or Facebook. It will begin at 6:30 PM and will include a discussion with the architect. The conference New Dimensions is organized in Prague by the European Association for Architectural Education (EAAE) and the Faculty of Architecture at CVUT. CVUT spokesperson Andrea Vondráková stated this in a press release.

"In his first lecture for the Prague audience, Steven Holl will present recently completed projects from which architecture can learn during the (post)covid era," said architect and educator Kateřina Rottová on behalf of the Faculty of Architecture. "His work is characterized by the interaction of light, air, and greenery. During the COVID-19 pandemic, these aspects are more urgent than ever," noted the architect.

Holl was born in 1947 in Bremerton, Washington. He graduated from the University of Washington and founded Steven Holl Architects in New York in 1977. His firm has a portfolio of several internationally recognized buildings – cultural, civic, and residential. Among recent projects, Rottová pointed out the expansion of the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston with the Nancy and Rich Kinder Foundation building. "The facade of the museum seems to capture light, dispersing it inside while simultaneously glowing outward. Steven Holl has been experimenting with light for four decades," Rottová emphasized.

In the Czech Republic, according to a study by Steven Holl Architects, a concert hall is planned to be built in Ostrava. The concert hall is designed to resemble a violin case or a spaceship when viewed from above.

For his work, Holl has received numerous accolades, including the Praemium Imperiale, regarded in the art field as the equivalent of the Nobel Prize, the gold medal from the American Institute of Architects, and the Daylight Award – specifically for his work with natural light in architecture. Holl has also been a faculty member at Columbia University in New York since 1981.

"He paints watercolor sketches (Holl) in all phases of design, from concept to construction details. He has archived tens of thousands of sketches in the uniform size of 5 × 7 inches. He finds inspiration in philosophy and literature as well as geometric principles," Rottová stated regarding the architect's work. Holl also focuses on modern technologies and sustainability principles – such as recycling and the use of geothermal energy.

The conference itself, focusing on topics related to the education of architects, urban planners, and landscape architects, will run until August 28.