Preparatory online course at FA VUT: Contemporary Architecture
Dear female applicants, dear male applicants, esteemed parents, supporters of FA, the Faculty of Architecture of the Brno University of Technology is launching a preparatory course Introduction to Contemporary Architecture (online). The course will take place online and is suitable not only for applicants for study but for the general public. The course includes 6 one-hour lectures followed by a discussion, every Thursday at 5:00 PM from April 16 – May 21, 2026.
Lecturer: MgA. Ing. arch. Petr Šmídek, Ph.D.
Price: 900 CZK/person for the course
Instructions with payment details will be sent to you after processing the completed application form.
Following the course on Contemporary Architecture, two excursions will take place exploring Brno's architecture on May 30, 2026, and June 6, 2026. The price for one excursion is 500 CZK/person.
Detailed program:
The course will introduce applicants to the most significant personalities and realizations of 20th-century Czech and world architecture. At the same time, we will present historically significant periods and the current architectural scene. A written test based on the content of the online lectures will be a prerequisite for successfully completing the course, which participants will have access to through E-learning.
1st lecture – Thursday, April 16, 2026, 5:00 PM
From Antiquity to Art Nouveau
Proper creation should be based on a thorough understanding of previous building stages. The Pritzker Prize, the most significant award for a living architect, is underpinned by the Vitruvian triad from the period of ancient Rome. Most contemporary architects refer in various forms to historical predecessors such as G. Semper, K.F. Schinkel, or A. Palladio. Before we set out to explore the contemporary Central European environment, it will be necessary to present the foundational figures (O. Wagner, J. Kotěra) upon which we will build our subsequent lectures.
2nd lecture – Thursday, April 23, 2026, 5:00 PM
International Style
The idea of functionalism captivated the whole world in the 1920s. The white minimalist volumes stripped of all decor helped the newly established Czechoslovakia break free from the historical continuity of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy. Thanks to Jindřich Kumpošt, Mojmír Kyselka Sr., and Bohuslav Fuchs, Brno transformed into a functionalist metropolis of world significance. Brno is also the birthplace of Adolf Loos, who, besides rejecting ornament, promoted the idea of Raumplan, which, alongside Le Corbusier's Plan libre, represented one of the two most important spatial concepts of the past century.
In addition to pure purists domestically and abroad, we will present the organic work of Alvar Aalto in Scandinavia and the historical continuity of F.L. Wright across the Atlantic.
3rd lecture – Thursday, April 30, 2026, 5:00 PM
From Brutalism to High-Tech
The war-torn European cities offered architects the opportunity to realize bold urban visions, whether in raw concrete or light constructions of glass and steel. While the Western world began to seek a way out in postmodernism during the 1970s after the timelessness of functionalism, the Eastern bloc (with honorable exceptions) continued with monotonous panel construction. We will get to know foreign representatives of brutalism (Le Corbusier, M. Breuer, P. Rudolph), high-tech (R. Piano, R. Rogers, N. Foster), postmodernism (J. Stirling, M. Botta), deconstruction (R. Koolhaas, D. Libeskind, P. Eisenman), and critical regionalists (R. Moneo, A. Siza).
4th lecture – Thursday, May 7, 2026, 5:00 PM
Against the Grayness and After the Velvet
Domestic personalities who stood out against the grayness of normalization (K. Hubáček, E. Přikryl, A. Šrámková, J. Línek, J. Bočan). The events after November 17, 1989, relaxed the political conditions, kickstarted entrepreneurial environments, and brought a breath of fresh air into construction. The 1990s were marked by missteps in the form of entrepreneurial baroque, but also shaped Švách's conscious rigor (led by J. Pleskot and L. Lábus).
5th lecture – Thursday, May 14, 2026, 5:00 PM
Municipal House Brno
The architects around Viktor Rudiš at Stavoprojekt Brno established their own practices in the early 1990s (Ateliér Brno, Ateliér Tišnovka, Burian+Křivinka, Rudiš+Rudiš, RAW), while also engaging in publishing, exhibition, and educational activities that referenced interwar functionalism (the P.A.W. studio directly means the Heirs of Arnošt Wiesner). The relatively closed Brno scene is no longer purely neo-functionalistic, but it still maintains a greater degree of modesty compared to the rest of the country.
6th lecture – Thursday, May 21, 2026, 5:00 PM
The Current Czech Scene
Presentation of the current generation (mjölk, Prokš Přikryl, Opočenský Valouch), young graduates of the Brno faculty (Chybík Kryštof, Consequence Forma, KOGAA, SENAA), and regional creators who operate outside the main architectural centers (L. Rýzner, K. Mrva, Z. Balík, Malý Chmel, Atlas forem).
Additional voluntary forms of teaching for an extra fee:
1st excursion – Saturday, May 30, 2026 (max. 15 participants) – 1:00 PM (duration approx. 1.5 hours)
Architecture around the faculty
Those interested in architecture do not need to embark on long journeys. Just look around carefully and when they know what to look for, they will always find something interesting. In close proximity to the faculty, there are several remarkable buildings by our current teachers (M. Palaščak, N. Gale) or successful graduates (Z. Fránek, M. Pospíšil, R. Horák, T. Jurák). During ninety minutes, we will take a walking tour to personally see a wide range of buildings from the new design of the Svratka waterfront (I. Ruller), modification of the transport hub (Chybík+Kryštof), through public institutions (Burian+Křivinka) to residential buildings (DRNH, RAW).
2nd excursion – Saturday, June 6, 2026 (max. 15 participants) – 1:00 PM (duration approx. 3 hours)
From the Stiassni Villa to the Tugendhat Villa
The story of two Brno industrial families against the backdrop of their own family homes. It will begin with a walk on Neumann Street in the Masaryk District, where alongside private functionalist villas, one can also see a modernist school (B. Fuchs, J. Polášek), high-quality post-war residential construction (Stavoprojekt Brno), and contemporary creation (Kuba+Pilař, Burian+Křivinka, Tišnovka, DRNH). Subsequently, we will take a trolleybus to Černá Pole, where the story of enlightened textile manufacturers continues (A. Neumann and L.M. van der Rohe). We will visit publicly accessible gardens and the exhibition floor of the Tugendhat Villa.
Recommended literature:
ŠVÁCHA, Rostislav: Czech Architecture and Its Rigor, Prague: Prostor, 2004
KRATOCHVÍL, Petr. Contemporary Czech Architecture and Its Themes, Prague: Paseka, 2011
FRAMPTON, Kenneth. Modern Architecture. A Critical History. 2nd expanded Czech edition, Prague: Academia, 2022
MASÁK, Miroslav. That's How It Was and That's How It Is, Prague: KANT, 2022
KUDĚLKA, Zdeněk. On New Brno, Brno: Museum of the City of Brno, 2000
JIRKALOVÁ, Karolína. DUŠEK, Ondřej. What Are Architects For. Prague: Jana Kostelecká – JAKOST, 2019
More information >
Lecturer: MgA. Ing. arch. Petr Šmídek, Ph.D.
Price: 900 CZK/person for the course
Instructions with payment details will be sent to you after processing the completed application form.
Following the course on Contemporary Architecture, two excursions will take place exploring Brno's architecture on May 30, 2026, and June 6, 2026. The price for one excursion is 500 CZK/person.
Detailed program:
The course will introduce applicants to the most significant personalities and realizations of 20th-century Czech and world architecture. At the same time, we will present historically significant periods and the current architectural scene. A written test based on the content of the online lectures will be a prerequisite for successfully completing the course, which participants will have access to through E-learning.
1st lecture – Thursday, April 16, 2026, 5:00 PM
From Antiquity to Art Nouveau
Proper creation should be based on a thorough understanding of previous building stages. The Pritzker Prize, the most significant award for a living architect, is underpinned by the Vitruvian triad from the period of ancient Rome. Most contemporary architects refer in various forms to historical predecessors such as G. Semper, K.F. Schinkel, or A. Palladio. Before we set out to explore the contemporary Central European environment, it will be necessary to present the foundational figures (O. Wagner, J. Kotěra) upon which we will build our subsequent lectures.
2nd lecture – Thursday, April 23, 2026, 5:00 PM
International Style
The idea of functionalism captivated the whole world in the 1920s. The white minimalist volumes stripped of all decor helped the newly established Czechoslovakia break free from the historical continuity of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy. Thanks to Jindřich Kumpošt, Mojmír Kyselka Sr., and Bohuslav Fuchs, Brno transformed into a functionalist metropolis of world significance. Brno is also the birthplace of Adolf Loos, who, besides rejecting ornament, promoted the idea of Raumplan, which, alongside Le Corbusier's Plan libre, represented one of the two most important spatial concepts of the past century.
In addition to pure purists domestically and abroad, we will present the organic work of Alvar Aalto in Scandinavia and the historical continuity of F.L. Wright across the Atlantic.
3rd lecture – Thursday, April 30, 2026, 5:00 PM
From Brutalism to High-Tech
The war-torn European cities offered architects the opportunity to realize bold urban visions, whether in raw concrete or light constructions of glass and steel. While the Western world began to seek a way out in postmodernism during the 1970s after the timelessness of functionalism, the Eastern bloc (with honorable exceptions) continued with monotonous panel construction. We will get to know foreign representatives of brutalism (Le Corbusier, M. Breuer, P. Rudolph), high-tech (R. Piano, R. Rogers, N. Foster), postmodernism (J. Stirling, M. Botta), deconstruction (R. Koolhaas, D. Libeskind, P. Eisenman), and critical regionalists (R. Moneo, A. Siza).
4th lecture – Thursday, May 7, 2026, 5:00 PM
Against the Grayness and After the Velvet
Domestic personalities who stood out against the grayness of normalization (K. Hubáček, E. Přikryl, A. Šrámková, J. Línek, J. Bočan). The events after November 17, 1989, relaxed the political conditions, kickstarted entrepreneurial environments, and brought a breath of fresh air into construction. The 1990s were marked by missteps in the form of entrepreneurial baroque, but also shaped Švách's conscious rigor (led by J. Pleskot and L. Lábus).
5th lecture – Thursday, May 14, 2026, 5:00 PM
Municipal House Brno
The architects around Viktor Rudiš at Stavoprojekt Brno established their own practices in the early 1990s (Ateliér Brno, Ateliér Tišnovka, Burian+Křivinka, Rudiš+Rudiš, RAW), while also engaging in publishing, exhibition, and educational activities that referenced interwar functionalism (the P.A.W. studio directly means the Heirs of Arnošt Wiesner). The relatively closed Brno scene is no longer purely neo-functionalistic, but it still maintains a greater degree of modesty compared to the rest of the country.
6th lecture – Thursday, May 21, 2026, 5:00 PM
The Current Czech Scene
Presentation of the current generation (mjölk, Prokš Přikryl, Opočenský Valouch), young graduates of the Brno faculty (Chybík Kryštof, Consequence Forma, KOGAA, SENAA), and regional creators who operate outside the main architectural centers (L. Rýzner, K. Mrva, Z. Balík, Malý Chmel, Atlas forem).
Additional voluntary forms of teaching for an extra fee:
1st excursion – Saturday, May 30, 2026 (max. 15 participants) – 1:00 PM (duration approx. 1.5 hours)
Architecture around the faculty
Those interested in architecture do not need to embark on long journeys. Just look around carefully and when they know what to look for, they will always find something interesting. In close proximity to the faculty, there are several remarkable buildings by our current teachers (M. Palaščak, N. Gale) or successful graduates (Z. Fránek, M. Pospíšil, R. Horák, T. Jurák). During ninety minutes, we will take a walking tour to personally see a wide range of buildings from the new design of the Svratka waterfront (I. Ruller), modification of the transport hub (Chybík+Kryštof), through public institutions (Burian+Křivinka) to residential buildings (DRNH, RAW).
2nd excursion – Saturday, June 6, 2026 (max. 15 participants) – 1:00 PM (duration approx. 3 hours)
From the Stiassni Villa to the Tugendhat Villa
The story of two Brno industrial families against the backdrop of their own family homes. It will begin with a walk on Neumann Street in the Masaryk District, where alongside private functionalist villas, one can also see a modernist school (B. Fuchs, J. Polášek), high-quality post-war residential construction (Stavoprojekt Brno), and contemporary creation (Kuba+Pilař, Burian+Křivinka, Tišnovka, DRNH). Subsequently, we will take a trolleybus to Černá Pole, where the story of enlightened textile manufacturers continues (A. Neumann and L.M. van der Rohe). We will visit publicly accessible gardens and the exhibition floor of the Tugendhat Villa.
Recommended literature:
ŠVÁCHA, Rostislav: Czech Architecture and Its Rigor, Prague: Prostor, 2004
KRATOCHVÍL, Petr. Contemporary Czech Architecture and Its Themes, Prague: Paseka, 2011
FRAMPTON, Kenneth. Modern Architecture. A Critical History. 2nd expanded Czech edition, Prague: Academia, 2022
MASÁK, Miroslav. That's How It Was and That's How It Is, Prague: KANT, 2022
KUDĚLKA, Zdeněk. On New Brno, Brno: Museum of the City of Brno, 2000
JIRKALOVÁ, Karolína. DUŠEK, Ondřej. What Are Architects For. Prague: Jana Kostelecká – JAKOST, 2019
More information >
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