kruh 2015: Architects

Background
It was only in the first half of the 20th century that the first studied female architects appeared, and these women established small offices. In the second half of the 20th century, some female figures became impossible to overlook; they worked independently or with their counterpart, usually a partner. Currently, we can observe, not only in our “civilized” world, a sort of freedom and competition among women architects, who increasingly take on their share of responsibility and intervene very distinctly and personally in the world of contemporary architecture. They are ceasing to be quiet co-creators and sources of inspiration for the prominent names in the male-dominated architectural world, but instead, they bring fresh air into architecture. We see women architects receiving recognition even within the Muslim and third worlds, engaging in sustainable or social architecture, actively appearing as politicians or chairwomen of global councils on architecture, or founding architectural archives.

Project Goals
- to discuss contemporary architecture as a stimulating part of human activity that can create quality living environments and emerges from both male and female perspectives on the contemporary art scene, where women already hold a clear and undeniable place
- to facilitate the exchange of information, topics, and personalities between countries through intensive, interactive, and sometimes informal collaboration in future years
- to confront the environment of the Czech Republic with other countries within the theme of architecture and the position of women in architecture
- to contribute to the development of the Czech cultural, scientific, social, and political environment, which is an important prerequisite for architectural creation for all, regardless of gender
- to convey know-how and different ways of thinking not only across different environments but also regarding gender diversity
- to stimulate public and media interest in discussions about architecture and the status of women in architecture
- to facilitate quality architectural practice in the Czech Republic
- to showcase Western environments where women architects commonly work on public contracts (e.g., Scandinavian countries, the Netherlands, France, the United Kingdom)
- to motivate female architecture students in the Czech Republic, who constitute more than 50% of students, towards independent creation

Program

Thursday, 5.3.2015 / 19:30 / Korzo at the Trade Fair Palace / That Architecture
The introductory evening of the Architect Women lecture cycle will present active domestic female architects from the young and middle generations, as well as those who focus on promoting architecture in public. They will take turns with short presentations showcasing their current intentions, visions, or ideas. Confirmed participants include Jitka Ressová, Kamila Amblerová, Andrea Lhotáková, Maria Topolčanská, Zuzana Morávková, Žofie Rajmanová, Šárka Sodomková, Barbora Šimonová, Markéta Mráčková, Kateřina Vídenová, and others. The evening will also serve as an opportunity for networking and celebrating the 15th anniversary of the Kruh project. The first lecture of Kruh took place on the first Thursday of March 2001, presented by Martin Rajniš, who will introduce this evening.

Thursday, 2.4.2015 / 19:30 / Studio Hrdinů / Alena Šrámková and Rostislav Švácha / In Dialogue
Alena Šrámková is a Czech architect regarded as the first lady of Czech architecture. She is the author and co-author of several prominent buildings in the postmodern style (the ČKD building on Wenceslas Square, the entrance hall of Prague's Main Train Station, the Šerák Meteorological Station, the new building of the Faculty of Architecture at ČVUT in Prague, etc.). Since 2005, she has had her own studio, Šrámková architekti, s.r.o. She is a professor at ČVUT and also serves as a member of the artistic council of AVU in Prague. She has won several architectural competitions and received the Personality of Czech Architecture award in 1994, the Honor from the Czech Chamber of Architects in 2007, and the Medal for Merit in 2008. In 2010, she received the Ministry of Culture award for contributions to architecture.
Rostislav Švácha is a historian and theorist of art and architecture, a university lecturer at the Department of Theory and History of Art at AVU and at the Department of Art History at Palacky University in Olomouc, where he completed his studies in 1976. From 1977 to 1984, he worked as an editor at the Odeon publishing house. In 1985, he became a researcher at the Institute of Art History of the Czech Academy of Sciences, where he still works. His work focuses on the architecture of the 17th to 20th centuries. In 2013, he received the Ministry of Culture Award for his contributions to architecture.

Thursday, 14.5.2015 / 19:30 / Studio Hrdinů / Francine Houben (Netherlands)
Francine Houben is the founder and creative director of the famous Mecanoo studio from Delft, Netherlands. Mecanoo was established in 1984 by Francine Houben and her partners. The studio's design is characterized by technical and human playfulness. Studio Mecanoo approaches architecture, urban planning, and landscape architecture in an unorthodox manner, putting a strong emphasis on light. Each project emerges from its context and relationship to the broader urban and social environment and is treated as a part of the surrounding environment and beauty of the place. Their projects are marked by strong authorship forms reminiscent of archetypal figures or objects.

Thursday, 4.6.2015 / 19:30 / Studio Hrdinů / Kristine Jensen (Denmark) and Iwona Wilczek (Poland)
Kristine Jensen is the founder and creative director of Kristine Jensen Architects. She operates at the intersection of architecture and landscape architecture, and her approach is distinctive in every project. She has received the most awards for the Nicolai Cultural Center in Kolding, Denmark.
Iwona Wilczek is the co-founder of db2 architekti, based in Opole. Among the studio's best-known projects is the Administrative-Entrance Building of the Museum of Opole Village, which relates to its surroundings, uses traditional materials in a contemporary way, and resonates with its environment rather than sharply distinguishing itself from it. This is a successful example of contemporary architecture being placed in a traditional context. Other projects include the Public Library in Opole and the Silesia Museum in Opole.

Thursday, 1.10.2015 / 19:30 / Cinema Světozor / Caroline Bos (Netherlands)
Caroline Bos is the co-founder of UNStudio - an award-winning studio from Amsterdam, which among other projects realized the Erasmus Bridge in Rotterdam, the Möbius House, and the Mercedes Benz Museum.
Bos originally studied art history in London and later graduated in architecture from Utrecht University. She initially worked as a journalist and in 1988 founded an architectural firm in Amsterdam with Ben van Berkel, where she became an internal critic of the studio and wrote concepts for future projects. The firm later changed its name to UNStudio - a network of experts in architecture and urbanism. By 2012, it consisted of 153 members from 17 countries, which together completed 69 projects. Caroline Bos was involved in the design of all projects. She has also taught at various institutions, including Architecture in Arnhem, Liverpool and Vienna universities, and the Berlage Institute in Amsterdam. Together with Ben van Berkel, she was a visiting lecturer at Princeton University. She is the co-author of several publications by UNStudio.

Thursday, 5.11.2015 / 19:30 / Cinema Světozor / Dorte Mandrup Poulsen (Denmark)
Founder and director of Dorte Mandrup Arkitekter. In 1999, she established Dorte Mandrup Arkitekter A/S, and her office's projects have been widely discussed and exhibited at many architectural exhibitions. Dorte Mandrup is a member of the board of the significant Museum of Modern Art in Louisiana and a commissioned member of the Council for the Preservation of Historical Buildings and Urban Environment under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture. Dorte Mandrup has received many national and international awards.

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