kruh autumn 2022: José Linazasoro and Ladislav Lábus

The KRUH Association is launching its annual celebrations of the International Day of Architecture at the turn of September and October. "Don't Demolish, Transform" is the motto of this year's Architecture Day festival, as well as the first autumn lecture in the Dialogues series, featuring Spanish architect José Ignacio Linazasoro alongside Czech educator and architect Ladislav Lábus. The evening focused on contemporary reconstructions of historical buildings will take place for free on Wednesday, October 5th, at 7:30 PM at the Instituto Cervantes in Prague.
“The dialogue between both speakers will present architects of successful contemporary reconstructions. These realizations show that historical buildings can accommodate quality contemporary architecture and that combining a new approach with the heritage of the past can yield valuable results,” says Marcela Steinbachová, the founder of the Kruh association and dramaturgist of the lectures, regarding the upcoming presentation.
José Ignacio Linazasoro is a leading Spanish architect and educator, author of several theoretical books on architecture as well as his own works. He is considered one of the greatest Spanish experts on the modern reconstruction of historical buildings. He gained attention primarily through acclaimed reconstructions, such as the conversion of the ruins of the San Fernando church in Madrid into a library (2004) or the expansion of the San Lorenzo church in Valdemaqueda (2001). Linazasoro also works on new constructions. A prominent feature of his realizations is the University Library in Madrid (1993), whose unassuming exterior contrasts with the striking interior of the five-story cylindrical reading room. Another of his university buildings is the campus in Segovia from 2012, which is known for its fragmented facade reflecting the character of a public building.
Ladislav Lábus is a respected Czech architect and educator who has been active since 1990 at the Faculty of Architecture of the Czech Technical University in Prague, where he also served as dean from 2014 to 2022. After completing his studies at the same university, he worked at the Project Institute for the construction of the capital city of Prague, and in 1991 he founded his own studio Lábus AA, with which he focuses on designing civic and residential buildings as well as urbanism. In his work and theory, he concentrates on searching for communicativeness, readability, and user-friendliness in his buildings. He is known for his sensitive approach to designing buildings in historical areas and during renovations, including the Langhans Palace, the Riding Hall of Prague Castle, Hotel Karlov, the apartment building Na Smetance, and the Paličkova villa. He also creates in the field of housing, senior living, and contributes to the transformation of the social care system and the issues of revitalizing housing estates and panel buildings.
The dialogue of Spanish architect José I. Linazasoro with Czech professor and architect Ladislav Lábus titled "Don't Demolish, Transform" will take place on Wednesday, October 5th, 2022, at 7:30 PM in the cinema hall of the Instituto Cervantes in Prague. The lecture is part of the Architecture Day festival program. Admission to the event is free, and reservations can be made on the GoOut network. The lecture will be simultaneously translated into Czech.