The letter from the Czech Chamber of Architects will be awarded to Zdenka Marie Nováková

source: IPR Prague, photo: Ester Havlová

The Czech Chamber of Architects (ČKA) has been paying tribute to prominent figures who have significantly contributed to modern Czech architecture through their work and moral integrity since 2000. The laureate of this award for the year 2023 is architect and painter Zdenka Marie Nováková, who is the author of the Chemapol-Investa building complex in Prague's Vršovice and the interior of the relocated Gothic church in Most. The ceremonial presentation will take place at the nomination evening of the Czech Architecture Award on Tuesday, June 27, 2024, and for the first time this year, the event is open to the general public.

Nominations for the award are submitted annually by the professional community, including members of various bodies of the Czech Chamber of Architects. The laureates are then selected by an expert jury, which this year includes architect Eva Jiřičná (chairwoman); architect, urban planner, and 2022 ČKA Honor Award laureate Petr Hlaváček; landscape architect and member of the Board of ČKA Štěpánka Endrle; artist, curator, and dean of the Faculty of Art and Architecture TU in Liberec Jan Stolín, and publicist Matej Šišolák.

The significance of all the nominated figures from the Czech architectural, artistic, and educational world this year far exceeds the boundaries of the mentioned fields, and their contribution can be perceived as societal. As the jury states: "The decision-making was not easy at all. Zdenka Marie Nováková is, however, a significant figure in the field of architecture and fine arts who deserves exceptional recognition. Her unique ability to synthesize architectural theory and practice both in creation and in pedagogical activity represents a model of academic and professional excellence."