When we think of the great buildings of the past that had no precedent, we always refer to the Parthenon. We say it is the building that grew out of the wall with an opening. We can say, in the Parthenon, light is the space between the columns; a rhythm of light, no-light, light, no-light which tells the tremendous story of light in architecture that came from the wall.

Placed at the end of the K. V. Rais Square in Lázně Bělohrad, the new city hall is a declaration of the local government's open approach to citizens as well as the city management. The darker plinth penetrated by a row of full-height windows, the building’s ground floor contains a multi-purpose hall, a small meeting room, a filing room, and an info point. Upper floors are used for offices, arranged around a central atrium lit by a clerestory. This layout doesn’t separate individual workplaces but rather promotes the feeling of joint work. The overall aesthetic of the city hall finds a rare balance between down-to-earth, approachable civic friendliness and a dignified, representative strength.

In 2021, a new rail tunnel was opened in central Karlsruhe, moving the seven tram and suburban train stations underground. The architectural and lighting concept of the individual stations complement each other, creating a unified aesthetic. LED tube lights are carried by a condensed and complex overhead cable system of ropes, clamps, and insulators, referencing the overhead lines of city trams. In several places, RGB spotlights combine red, green, and blue light into white light cones, initially creating bright accents on the station floors. But when a passenger walks through the spot, the person casts colorful shadows as if by magic. In this way, passengers become participants in the lighting design.

The January online interview with architect Steven Holl turned out to be an unexpectedly uplifting experience. One of the most influential American architects, a Columbia University professor, author and artist, Holl charmed and fascinated us right from the start. One moment he was telling a story about a dinner party, where he and his friends discussed fundamental questions of life such as, "What is happiness? What is truly objective and not subjective?" or "Are there angels? Are there gods?" Later he would delve into a scientific theory and draw surprising parallels between abstract themes. Marcela Steinbachová, co-author of the Terezín Ghetto Museum project, joined us for the interview, and the poetic mood lasted almost the entire hour. At one point we couldn’t tell anymore whether the topic was “architecture and light” or “architecture and life.”

Since the very beginning of our planet's existence, its environment has been shaped by the regular changing of days and nights, periods of light and periods of darkness. All living organisms, including humans, evolved in this environment and adapted to the natural cycle over many millions of years. Until the end of the 19th century, the only sources of light during the night were fire, the moon, and the stars. With the invention and proliferation of artificial lighting, however, people began to change the night environment in unprecedented ways, outside and inside their homes. Discussing this with lighting expert Hynek Medřický, we reflect on the possible consequences of this change and whether we can actually grasp all of them.

While still at university, studying architecture at the Faculty of Civil Engineering BUT in Brno, Jan Machát and Michal Okleštěk founded VISUALOVE. It is now a multimedia studio with projects ranging from lighting design and scenography, to architecture, video mapping, and multimedia installations. In conversation with Jan Machát, we discuss the benefits of architectural education for both of VISUALOVE’s founding partners, and contemplate the essence of their work and their fascination with light.

Located on the ground floor of the Main Point Pankrác building in Prague, the homeopathy office with a small spa boasts a dramatic flowing interior design. Circular shapes are used repeatedly in the layout for the two consultation rooms and the three spa chambers intended for therapy procedures. Subdued colors, original material choices, and distinctive lighting design complement the organic interior design. Located on the ground floor of the Main Point Pankrác building in Prague, the homeopathy office with a small spa boasts a dramatic flowing interior design. Circular shapes are used repeatedly in the layout for the two consultation rooms and the three spa chambers intended for therapy procedures. Subdued colors, original material choices, and distinctive lighting design complement the organic interior design.

An important cultural institution in its own right, F. X. Šalda Small Theater is the experimental and less formal counterpart to Liberec’s main stage, complementing the range of theater performances in the city. Reconstructing the dilapidated former Community House, the Small Theater was built according to the unique design of SIAL, directed by Karel Hubáček, in two stages in 1989 and 1991. The current renovation was initiated when the entrance hall and visitor facilities started to become unsuitable. Its goal was both to satisfy pragmatic, functional requirements and to create an elegant gathering space for visitors before and after performances. The new interior design works creatively with the rich history of the place, becoming a tribute to Hubáček, who would have celebrated his 100th birthday this past February.

Artist’s Marek Šilpoch’s distinctive light installations attract visitors to the renovated bistro and bar Koule in Prague Letná. A programmable control system manages the intensity and color of the lights. A modest backdrop for the eye-catching wall lights, the rest of the interior is kept visually simple with a neutral color palette.

Located in a recently renovated apartment building in Prague Nusle, the minimalist luxury shop offers “pedigree bikes”, meaning bikes used on the Giro d’Italia, Tour de France, or La Vuelta grand tours. The shop interior is divided in two parts— facing the street is a presentation area with displayed bikes, facing the backyard is a small back office and a kitchenette. Both sections are unified with a white wash and gold ocher detailing.

Last year, a new store with designer fashion and accessories was opened in Bratislava's Nivy shopping center. The store features a row of niches on both sides—these provide separate spaces for the presentation of each brand or fashion designer. A wooden bench with an integrated display case for accessories runs through the middle of the room. The interior design seeks parallels between the work of an architect and that of a fashion designer. The shape of the letter X, arranged in a grid similar to the texture of fabrics, thus became the basic element of the interior.

Sonnentor, the Czech-Austrian producer of organic teas and spices, opened a new experiential visitor route, using different art techniques to illustrate the complex processing of their produce, from growing the plants to packaging and distribution. The route features a tea-box sculpture, layered paper bag elements, clay plasters, concrete plaster with imprints of herbs taken from the garden of St. Hildegard in Čejkovice, and a ceiling of hanging tea bags. Round windows placed along the route allow visitors to look inside the production area. This enables them to connect the information with real production practices.

The corporate business world, if you have never worked there, can seem quite confusing and incomprehensible from the outside. The same goes for big open plan offices, often used by corporate companies. Speaking with the founder of YUAR architects Lukáš Janáč, we discover the complexities of their design, confirm the need for good spatial composition, and discuss the possibilities of environmentally conscious behavior in a "thoroughly capitalist" market segment. 

The legendary Brno Dragon (which is really a stuffed crocodile suspended from the ceiling in the passage under the Old Town Hall tower) became part of the Christmas celebrations last year. Dressed in a dashing oversized sweater it spewed a fiery spectacle of light from its mouth. The red and white sweater was made from discarded polyethylene tubes and fixed onto a metal exoskeleton, so it didn't actually touch any part of the animal's body. The custom-made loom for weaving the plastic tubes was later reused as an information stand.

Almost ten years after the 2014 architecture competition, the construction on the Masaryčka office building near Prague's Masaryk Railway Station was finally completed. Masaryčka’s design establishes a dialogue with the architecture and urbanism of Prague’s Old Town—known as “the golden city of 100 spires”. External fins within its façade contribute to solar shading in the summer and transform the project’s horizontal composition to the verticality of its western façade facing the spires of the Old Town. The building is the first completed project of a broader scheme for the renovation of the entire Masaryk Railway Station, which includes a comprehensive reconstruction of all platforms, a construction of two additional tracks, and a new public square and park raised above the eastern part of the station.