„Murderers / Murderesses“ - lecture series of the Circle in fall 2009

The project of the civic association Kruh, a series of lectures and discussions titled “Matadoři / Matadorky” in 2009 presents prominent personalities of the older generation of architects, whose work, primarily created in the 1960s to 1980s, is now fading into oblivion. The presentation of the work of architects born around 1930 aims to bring new insights into their creations and illuminate the circumstances surrounding the emergence of individual projects. The autumn series of lectures will be devoted to Slovak architects, whose work in the 1960s to 1980s was among the most progressive. By introducing exceptional figures of Slovak architecture, we hope to provide an interesting comparison with contemporary Czech realizations.
The autumn cycle will kick off with Kruh’s lectures by Slovak matadors as part of the festival 4+4 days in motion (October 9 - 16, 2009), which takes place in the building of the former Federal Assembly in Prague.

Vladimír Dedeček (* 1929) Monday, October 12, 2009, at 4:30 PM
Vladimír Dedeček, one of the most prominent figures in Slovak architecture, emphasized the development of functionalist principles in his work. These were passed on to him during his architecture studies in Bratislava after World War II by excellent architects of the previous generation Emil Belluš and Vladimír Karfík. Architect Dedeček initially specialized in school buildings and managed to improve the typology of school buildings with several realizations (pavilion schools in Bratislava). His most significant realization includes the complex of the Agricultural University in Nitra (1960-1966), which is often compared to the works of Oscar Niemeyer or Luigi Nervi due to its progressive volumetric solution. In Bratislava, architect Dedeček designed a number of monumental public buildings, among which the Slovak National Gallery building on Račianské nábřeží, the Slovak National Archive, the dormitory complex in Mlýnská dolina, and university buildings of the Faculty of Science and the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics stand out.

After the lecture by Vladimír Dedeček, a guided tour of the former Federal Assembly building will take place at 6:00 PM with Rostislav Švácha and Karel Ksandr.

Ivan Matušík (* 1930) Thursday, October 15, 2009, at 7:30 PM
Ivan Matušík represents another significant figure in the Slovak architectural scene of the 1960s to 1980s. His work is rooted in the traditions of functionalism and has many times successfully built upon the qualities of modern European and world architecture. In 1969, he received the Dušan Jurkovič award for the realization of the Prior department store and the Kyiv hotel in Bratislava, which in many ways resembles the significant modern building of the SAS hotel in Copenhagen by architect Arne Jacobsen. Ivan Matušík contributed to architecturally exceptional, plastically modeled buildings of the 1960s with the splendid realization of the Baník treatment house in Bojnice. In 1995, he was deservedly honored by the Slovak Architects’ Association for his lifetime achievement (Emil Belluš prize). Ivan Matušík also drew attention recently with the high-quality and original realization of the family house Elipsion (2002)

venue: former building of the Federal Assembly, Vinohradská 1, Prague 1

more info: www.ctyridny.cz, www.kruh.info

partners: Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic, School of Architecture AVU Prague, 4+4 days
the project is supported by: Sipral, Konsepti, Metrostav a.s., City Hall of Prague, MDA Prague s.r.o., MDA Ostrava s.r.o., Slovak Institute in Prague
media partners: Era 21, Radio 1, www.archiweb.cz, Cultural Weekly A2