Day of Architecture festival spotlights Czech women architects past and present
What kinds of buildings have Czech women architects designed, from the First Republic up to the present? That is the central theme of this year’s Day of Architecture festival, which runs through Tuesday, October 7, with hundreds of free events and open sites across Czechia and Slovakia.
This year’s motto of Days of Architecture is Ta architektura, or That Architecture, a reference to the fact that in Czech, the word “architecture” is grammatically feminine. The program will showcase the work of Czech women architects from the First Republic up to the present. The aim is not only to present unique works with a female imprint, but also to reflect on the role of women in architecture over the past hundred years.
Festival director Marcela Steinbachová says one of the focuses is on the very first formally trained woman architect in Czechoslovakia, who at first had to study secretly, privately, outside the university system.
“Her name was Milada Petříková-Pavlíková. She designed what is considered the first completed house by a woman architect, built in Prague’s Dejvice district. Much of her work centered on care for women—she designed a home for single women and women’s associations. Another example is Ella Oehler, active in Přerov, or Hana Kučerová-Záveská, who designed two houses in the Baba housing colony in Prague.”
The festival aims not only to introduce the pioneering women architects, but also to highlight the broader contributions of women across the field of architecture, says Steinbachová:
“We not only want to raise awareness of women architects, but also to highlight the many women active in related fields: in architectural journalism, education, and landscape design. We want to bring women’s contributions into the broader conversation.”
Alongside excursions and walks, the program will also feature lectures, workshops, and even theatre performances. Many sites can be visited without prior reservation, says festival coordinator Dan Toman:
“Visitors can filter the program on our website, but to name a few highlights, I would recommend the Faculty of Architecture at the Czech Technical University in Dejvice, designed by Alena Šrámková, or the Hus Congregation in Vinohrady, where architect Pavla Melková carried out a very successful renovation.”
Another highlight is the New Orangery at Prague Castle, a striking modern glasshouse originally commissioned by Václav Havel and completed in 1999 to the design of Eva Jiřičná. She explains that its distinctive glass-and-metal form was determined by a specific request.
“The structure was requested to be fully demountable so that it could be relocated elsewhere if later deemed out of place. That’s why it is essentially a metal framework, completely dismantable, from which the glass is suspended. Usually the structure is inside and the glass is placed on top—but we did it the other way around.”
As part of the festival program, visitors will also be able to tour the interior of Czech Radio Vltava’s studio, and the National Gallery is offering free admission to its exhibition Architecture for All at the Trade Fair Palace.
