Prague citizens now regard their riverfronts as something approaching a miracle: a car park ten years ago, today a cultural and social scene unparalleled around the city, maybe even the country. For a while the surprising metamorphosis of Vltava riverfronts went unnoticed, keeping to the ephemeral plain of the program. This spring it ventured to the plain of the physical, with the refurbishment of twenty vaults (originally ice storage areas) in the riverfront wall. The new hybrid spaces, halfway between interior and exterior, operate under the convenient status of “public space meander” and they will serve as bars, cafés, galleries, or a public library.

They are useless. Like old pets waiting in shelters for new masters or death to take them. They outlived their original owners, and new folks show little interest. Previous guardians gave them up or sought to replace them with something “more beautiful”. Just like old pets, they contain people’s stories and traces of past lives. They can still be useful to someone. But there is no TV show to help here, unlike the one that had pets up for grabs. What would it sound like? “Look at that honest facade; sure, it’s been through a lot, but it’s a true copy of Viennese Art Deco. It might serve well for another 80 to 150 years. It is receptive, adaptable, it would bring joy and prestige to its new owner. It needn't be too demanding; just let it get used to a new environment and then it'll shine once more….”

Universities are the typical public sector client engaging with societally significant building activity. Seven years ago, we surveyed representatives of selected universities, asking about their view on architectural competitions. The answers were mostly negative, citing the financially demanding and time‑consuming downsides, and alleging that the CCA competition code contradicted public procurement law. Academic institutions generally did not issue any competitions. The situation has changed partially as some universities have tried design contests in recent years, while most still remain hesitant to see competitions as a useful tool.

Discussion on the transformation of conditions of the architectural profession and creations, led by curator Helena Doudová.

Every architect knows the specifics of the job. There was no data, however, to confirm the collective experience of the current working conditions in the Czech Republic. We now present the most significant results of an extensive survey conducted among university educated architects, between the ages of 22 and 35, based in the CR. The fact that we received 1221 valid responses proves how timely the subject matter was.