Talking about architectural criticism in the Czech Republic, there is usually a general consensus that it is insufficient. However, there are various views of what the actual use of critique is and what critics should do. Therefore, it’s time we looked around to see how things are developing today, and turned our attention abroad. Although we know that criticism is inconceivable without history and theory, as this issue’s curator I would like to present its less academic form, too – one that enters discussions about our environment, that is able to address and inspire practicing architects, students, and the public.

A new multifunctional hall was opened in Líbeznice u Prahy in November, designed to serve for gym classes as well as leisure clubs, cultural and social events. The two-story building makes use of the difference in heights of the adjacent street and football field. This enables it to be sensitively incorporated in the surrounding development of mostly family houses, and allows for barrier-free access to both floors. The building has an oval ground plan and it is divided into three parts: the overtop sports hall in the middle and two lateral apsis, which provide space for additional functions. The main volume of the building is a wooden structure with a curtain façade system made of squared timber; the adjacent facility building is made of brick.

Na posledním Otevřeném think tanku architektů (OTTA), organizovaném Českou komorou architektů na téma Architektura a společenské vědy, mimo jiné zaznělo, že jedním z problémů dnešních architektů je nedostatečná znalost teorie a související literatury. Mnohdy jim prý chybí širší společenský základ a schopnost správně užívat jazyk, což nelze neustále omlouvat výlučností architektonické profese.

Od ledna 2017 střídá Zuzanu Morávkovou na pozici šéfredaktora časopisu ERA21 architekt a dlouholetý spolupracovník redakce Filip Landa. 

A giant steel-wooden structure inspired by the shape of an airship was built on the roof of the DOX Center for Contemporary Art in Prague at the end of this year. The idea of this parasitic structure contrasting with the stark architecture of DOX reflects the belief that things can be done differently even in today’s globalized world, where it stands that what you can’t count, evaluate, or forecast isn’t worth the risk. The shape of an airship was chosen as it is symbolic of how the first airships represented an optimistic ideal of unprecedented technological progress. They continued to fascinate whole generations with their remarkable monumentality and mesmerizing dignity long after they had disappeared from the sky. Airships embodied the perpetual human desire to fly and a certain utopian ideal. This space will serve for encounters of contemporary art and literature, and the program will expand the exhibitions in DOX characterized by critical reflection of today’s world.