Owen Hatherley, architecture critic and author of Landscapes of Communism: A History through Buildings, will guide you through the recently refurbished London Czech Embassy from its spectacular roof terrace with iconic water towers to the original cinema in the basement, exploring also the original interior of the Slovak Embassy where raw concrete is juxtaposed with artistic and decorative elements.
Designed by the leading Czech architects Jan Šrámek, Jan Bočan and Karel Štepánský, in collaboration with the architect of the Royal Festival Hall, Robert Mathew, it was awarded the RIBA London Region Award in 1971 and marked a significant redevelopment in the Notting Hill Gate area in the late ‘60s.
Looking back to pre-war Czech Modernism and post-war architecture, Owen Hatherley will discuss its influence in Britain while exploring the obtuse angles and concrete details of the building designed in accordance with the prevailing architectural trends and representing the best of Brutalist architecture.
Director: Alžběta Kovandová, Czech Centre London 2021, 35 mins
- 6.30 pm – Premiere at the Czech Centre YouTube
- 7.15 pm – A live ZOOM discussion and Q&As with Owen Hatherley, Rostislav Švácha and Irena Lehkoživová. Chaired by Peter Smisek
To receive a reminder and ZOOM link for the discussion, book via Eventbrite
————-
Owen Hatherley is a critic and author, focusing on architecture, politics and culture. He is the culture editor of Tribune. His books include Landscapes of Communism, A Guide to the New Ruins of Great Britain and The Ministry of Nostalgia. He writes regularly on aesthetics, architecture and politics for the Architectural Review, the Guardian, Dezeen and the Calvert Journal among others.
Rostislav Švácha is Czech architecture critic and historian based at the Academy of Sciences in Prague. His main research interests include Czechoslovak modern and contemporary architecture. He has edited and contributed to publications such as Sial. Sial. Liberec Association of Engineers and Architects, 1958-1990: Czech Architecture Against the Stream; Czech Architecture and Its Austerity: Fifty Buildings 1989-2004.
Irena Lehkoživová is Czech architecture historian based at the Archive of Fine Arts and Research Centre for Industrial Heritage FA ČVUT Prague. She has co-funded VI PER gallery and frequently contributes to magazines such as Architekt, Stavba, Art+Antiques, Era 21 and Centropa, Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians. She is a co-editor of Zdenek Seydl monography and The Paneláks: Twenty Five Housing Estates in the Czech Republic.
Peter Smisek is a freelance writer, researcher and architect whose work has appeared in publications including Icon, Mark, FRAME, Kinfolk, PIN-UP, Domus, Disegno, Architonic and Metal. Peter was previously Associate Editor at Icon Magazine and Editor, Partnered Content at The B1M, the world’s largest video channel for architecture and construction.
Organised by the Czech Centre London in collaboration with the Czech and Slovak Embassies in London and the London Festival of Architecture.
