The accompanying program started on May 16 and featured 87 events in total. The public could attend lectures, walking tours, a concert with a lecture, and exhibitions. Some events were organized by our partners from the participating buildings.
Jože Plečnik was commemorated through multiple events. Starting Monday, May 16, an exhibition titled Plečnik’s Unrealized Projects in Ljubljana was on display in Jiřího z Poděbrad Square. This exhibition was accompanied by a lecture which took place during the week and featured special guests: Ana Porok, curator of the permanent exhibition on Plečnik in the National Gallery in Ljubljana, and professor Vladimír Šlapeta, one of the biggest Czech experts on Plečnik’s work. The lecture took place in Collegium Maximum at the Faculty of Law, Charles University, and it was attended by 150 people, including visitors from the Embassy of Slovenia in Prague.
Thanks to a performance by the Stamic Quartet at the Church of the Most Sacred Heart of Our Lord, people were able to experience music composed by Plečnik’s contemporaries, such as Bohuslav Foerster, inside one of the most notable Czech sacral monuments. The concert was preceded by a short introductory word from architect Zdeněk Lukeš and was attended by 130 people.
In collaboration with the Clubhouse of the Autoclub of the Czech Republic, we hosted a panel discussion titled Tužme se! aneb Praha sportovní, whichfocused on a variety of topics related to the past and future of sports facilities. The discussion was presented by our tour guide and expert Michal Šedivý, who also selected the guests: Kateřina Pohlová, historian and executive director of the educational department of the Czech Sokol Union, who spoke about the history of the Sokol; art historian Jakub Potůček, who spoke about the present situation; and Lenka Burgerová, architect, historian, and deputy mayor of Prague 7. The follow-up discussion included guests such as Karolina Jirkalová, journalist, critic, and editor focusing on architecture; architect Jan Tomáš Cieśla of archicraft atelier; and Eva Krejčiříková and Jiří Hájek, representatives of the Sokol union in Řeporyje. Archizoom acted as the media partner of the evening.
The accompanying program also included four guided walks, each focused on a specific topic. Adam Scheinherr (PRAHA SOBĚ), deputy mayor for transport, guided approximately 80 attendees from Hlávka Bridge to the Negrelli Viaduct, to the new footbridge in Štvanice which is currently under construction, and to the Libeň Bridge, designed by Pavel Janák. Mr. Scheinherr talked about architecture, bridges and their maintenance, and the approach to careful reconstructions. Markéta Čejková guided a walk titled Na Hrad za Plečnikem, which focused on Plečnik’s work in the courtyards and gardens of Prague Castle. Tomáš Hübl, chairman of the board of the association Výstaviště Praha, guided a walk around Prague Exhibition Grounds. Here visitors could see the next stages of the reconstruction of these notable city premises and take a look inside one of the renovated Křižík Pavilions. Finally, Iva Mladičová, curator of the exhibition Místa ’22, took visitors to Zbraslav, where they saw a sculpture exhibition in the public space.
Some of the accompanying events on the weekdays were also organized by our partners from the participating buildings. In the Winternitz Villa, there was a lecture titled Dům jako chobotnice nebo dalekohled? Proč ne! Vše je povoleno! given by Mgr. Marie Černá Pivovarová, Ph.D. and a music performance by Quasi Trio. At the Bubny Memorial, visitors could take part in a discussion titled Quo Vadis, Bubny…?, which focused on the public space in the Bubny district. At the Šaloun Villa, there was a lecture about the house and its past and present inhabitants. The lecture was organized by HOST, an organization which resides in the villa.
Thanks to our volunteers’ initiative, there were also tours in Spanish in two buildings (Gráf Hotel – I. P. Pavlova 5 and EA Hotel Juliš) for the first time ever.
Overview of All Accompanying Events on the Weekdays
LECTURE
20th Century Architecture after WWII (in Czech)
Mon May 16, 2022 at 7 p.m.
TOUR
Tour at EA Hotel Juliš (in Spanish)
Tue May 17, 2022 at 4.30 p.m.
LECTURE & DISCUSSION
Discussion on the Future of Sports Facilities (in Czech)
Tue May 17, 2022 at 6 p.m.
DISCUSSION
QUO VADIS? Bubny…? (in Czech)
Wed May 18, 2022 at 6 p.m.
LECTURE & DISCUSSION
Šaloun Villa (in Czech)
Wed May 18, 2022 at 6 p.m.
TOURS
Tours of IOCB for visitors who use wheelchairs (in Czech)
Thu May 19, 2022 at 10 a.m. & 2 p.m.
LECTURE & DISCUSSION
Plečnik’s Unrealized Projects for Ljubljana
Thu May 19, 2022 at 6.30 p.m.
TOUR
Exhibition MÍSTA’22 – sculptures for Zbraslav (in Czech)
Fri May 20, 2022 at 5 p.m.
Events on the Weekend
Guided Tours with Architects
Many architects took part in the festival on the weekend and offered the public a commentary on the history of the buildings or shared details on their construction or reconstruction. At the former Electrical Enterprises, now Bubenská 1, there was a guided tour with the main architect of the award-winning reconstruction project, Marek Tichý of TaK Architects. Filip Ditrich, cemetery architecture expert, guided tours at the Evangelical Cemetery in Strašnice and Ďáblice Cemetery. Art and architecture historian David Prixa guided a special tour at the humanities institutes of the Czech Academy of Sciences (Institute of Philosophy, Institute of Sociology, and Institute of Art History). Architect Petr Franta guided a tour at the Czech Institute of Informatics, Robotics and Cybernetics (CIIRC), CTU, and architect Pavel Hnilička guided a tour at The Fizz Prague, a modern student dormitory. As in the past, people could attend two tours at the Štenc House, the main office of Opero coworking, guided by architect and interior designer Mária Maninová of MAAT architekti. Guided tours were also available at the new Prague 12 Town Hall – these were guided by mayor Jan Adamec, deputy mayor Petr Šula, and architects and authors of the project Jana Mastíková and Michal Hendrych of LOXIA.
Overview of Tours with Architects and Other Experts
Former Electrical Enterprises – Bubenská 1
guided tour with architekt Marek Tichý of TaK Architcts (in Czech) – Sat May 21 at 10.30 a.m.
Ďáblice Cemetery
walking tour with architect Filip Ditrich (in Czech) – May 21 at 2 p.m.
Czech Institute of Informatics, Robotics and Cybernetics (CIIRC)
guided tour with architect Petr Franta (in Czech) – Sat May 21 at 2 p.m.
Evangelical Cemetery in Strašnice
guided tour with architect Filip Ditrich (in Czech) – Sat May 21 at 10 a.m.
Institute of Philosophy, Institute of Sociology & Institute of Art History, AS CR
guided tour with historian of art and architecture Dalibor Prixa (in Czech) – Sat May 21 at 3 p.m.
The Fizz Prague
guided tour with architect Pavel Hnilička (in Czech) – Sat May 21 at 11 a.m.
Church of St. Adalbert
special guided tours (in Czech) – Sat May 21 and Sun May 22 at 2 p.m.
Olšany Cemetery
walking tour (in Czech)– Sun May 22 at 2 p.m.
Prague 12 Town Hall
guided tours with mayor Jan Adamec, deputy mayor Petr Šula, and architects and authors of the project Jana Mastíková and Michal Hendrych of LOXIA (in Czech) – Sat May 21 at 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 2 p.m. & 3 p.m.
Štenc House – main office of business club Opero
tours with architect and interior designer Mária Maninová of MAAT architekti (in Czech) – Sun May 22 at 2.15 p.m. and 3.30 p.m.
Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, AS CR – historical and new building
tours in English – Sat May 21 at 11 a.m. and 2.20 p.m.
Other Programs
The accompanying program on the weekend featured exhibitions and presentations in the open buildings. The biggest attraction turned out to be KOOJON, a private art collection founded by Iva Bízová and her friends. Pieces from the collection were installed at the technical space of Prager’s Boiler House of the General University Hospital. The exhibition featured works from Krištof Kintera, Tereza Štětinová, Petr Dub, Alžběta Krňanská, Julius Reichel, Martin Lukáč, and Filip Dvořák, and it was also covered during the main evening news broadcast (Události) on ČT1.
At the former Gráf Hotel, now I. P. Pavlova 5, there was an exhibition of historical photos and a celebration of the 94th anniversary of the foundation of Harley Davidson Praha, including a meeting of the members of the club. At the UMPRUM Technology Center, people could see an exhibition of student works titled Postup jako výstup. At the bell foundry in Zbraslav, visitors learned about the bellfounding tradition from the owner of the museum himself, Rudolf Manoušek. In total, more than 45 exhibitions and presentations took place at the participating buildings thanks to our partners’ initiative.
ARA Palace – main office of HubHub coworking
exhibition of historical photos on the 3rd floor, on-screen electronic presentation about HubHub
Boiler House of the General University Hospital in Prague
exhibition of art pieces from the private collection KOOJON of Iva Bízová and her friends
Church of the Hus Congregation in Vršovice
performance, lecture, community event
Church of the Most Sacred Heart of Our Lord
exhibition ‘Plečnik’s Unrealized Projects for Ljubljana’ on Jiřího z Poděbrad Square
Cibulka Homestead
exhibition on the history and future of the homestead, including projects depicting the future appearance of the premises
City Spa in Žižkov – House of Dance
exhibition of visualizations of the House of Dance project (Studio Reaktor and Tanec Praha); dance performance for children of age 4+ (Sat 5 p.m. on Kostnické Square.)
Clubhouse of the Autoclub of the Czech Republic
exhibition on the history of the club and the history of the building, exhibition about Czechoslovak automobile racer Eliška Junková
ČSOB Campus – NHQ building
presentation on the construction of the buildings
ČSOB Campus – SHQ building
presentation on the construction of the buildings
Czech Institute of Informatics, Robotics and Cybernetics (CIIRC), CTU
photos documenting the process of construction, guided tour with authors
Czech National Library of Technology
exhibition of books and reproductions from the historical collection, exhibition on the history of the library and the construction process
Czernin Palace – Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic
panel exhibitions in the hall/sala terrena
Ďáblice Observatory
10-minute presentation on the history of the observatory on loop in the screening hall
Evangelical Cemetery in Strašnice
guided tour of the cemetery with architect Filip Ditrich on Saturday at 10 a.m.
Faculty Elementary School in Ďáblice
plans, photos documenting reconstruction and activities of the facility
Faculty of Civil Engineering, CTU
exhibition of student works
Faculty of Electrical Engineering, CTU
historical videos and photos from the faculty life – important figures, cultural life, buildings
Former Sculpture Atelier of Halman Brothers – creative agency Loosers
exhibition of KOOJON, a collection of contemporary art
Gráf Hotel – I. P. Pavlova 5
guided tour with an architect, exhibition of historical photographs of the building and the celebration of 94th anniversary of the Harley Davidson Prague club, creative workshops for families with children
House of the Firemen’s Association of Bohemia – Firemen’s House
panels with information on the building’s history
Institute of Philosophy, Institute of Sociology, Institute of Art History of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic
panel exhibition, guided tour with art and architecture historian Dalibor Prix (Saturday 3 p.m.)
Klar Institute of the Blind – Czech Geological Survey
historical photos of the building and its construction, posters about the activities of CGS
Komořany Chateau, Central Forecasting Office and Administration Building of the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute
open day, stands, accompanying program by CHMI
Laichter House
exhibition of documents, plans, drawings, and photos
Letná Water Tower
current exhibition in the gallery
Metro Palace – Image Theater
video about the reconstruction, historical photos of the original cinema provided by the owners of Metro Palace
Municipal House in Ďáblice
exhibition of drawings and photos, discussion with authors (TBA)
National Museum of Agriculture
exhibition on the history of the museum and the building
New Synagogue in Libeň
historical photos, information about the history of the building and the former Jewish quarter
NN IT Hub
game, photos showing the building before and after reconstruction
Pragovka Art District
open galleries, exhibitions
Prague 12 Town Hall
exhibition panels regarding the construction process in the entrance hall
Praha-Bubny Railway Station
exhibitions of visualizations of the Memorial of Silence
Šaloun Villa – atelier of the Academy of Fine Arts and seat of HOST organization
historical photos of the building, copies of drawings
Sokol Gymnasium in Karlín
exhibitions of photos and materials from archives
Sokol Gymnasium in Nové Město – seat of T. J. Sokol Pražský
photo loop
Štvanice Power Station
exhibition of plans, pictures and photographs
The Fizz Prague
video projection documenting the construction process
Trmal Villa
exhibition
UMPRUM Technology Center on Mikulandská Street
biennal exhibition from students of UMPRUM, open lego and duplo workshop Czech Repubrick
Vlašská Infirmary – seat of the Italian Institute of Culture
exhibition on the 100th anniversary of the institute (information panels in the courtyard) and a photo exhibition on Italy in the baroque chapel (to be confirmed)
Vyšehrad Historical Steamship
exhibition (history of the company, steamship models)
Winternitz Villa
permanent exhibition on the Winternitz family; current exhibition on Karl Kohn, a Jewish architect who emigrated to Ecuador in 1939 (exhibition curated by Adam Štěch)
Zbraslav Bell Foundry – Museum of the Manoušek Bell Foundry
permanent exhibition in the museum, videos
Program for Long-term Residents of Prague
Because Open House Prague is primarily for the citizens of the capital city, we try to engage English-speaking residents not only in our volunteer program, but we also want to offer toursin English. During the weekend, over 140 tours in English took place. The printed guide included an English section with tips for buildings to visit as well as practical information, and some buildings also had materials in English available.
Photo Contest ‘Otevřená Praha’
This year’s Open House Prague also held a photo contest titled Otevřená Praha (‘Open Prague’) in collaboration with ESTAV.cz. The contest was entered by 112 visitors who sent 256 photos, out of which our judges chose 7 entries from each of the three categories (Detail, Building, People). The category ‘Detail’ was judged by professional photographer Lukáš Žentel, ‘People’ was judged by members of the festival’s organizing team, and ‘Building’ was judged by the staff of Estav.cz.
Winners were selected out of the final 21 photos in a public vote by readers of ESTAV.cz and visitors of Open House Prague. The first three finalists received presents donated by us and our partners Grohe, MANA Theater in Vršovice, and Topinfo s.r.o. (operator of ESTAV.cz).