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ARCHIPARCHITECTURAL

INSTITUTEIN PRAGUE

NEWSLETTER

JANUARY 2015 - END OF THE WINTER SEMESTER

01/2015An exhibition of this past semester’s project “Bubny Fields - Interior Space of the City” is on display in the studio space at ARCHIP! And all month long, we have been receiving applications from prospective students who are enrolling for the next academic year.

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN - PRESENTATIONS

ARCHIP AND ERASMUS+

PAST AND FUTURE - A PROJECT FOR RENEWAL

Students of all three years presented their projects to the jury on the last week of January. The

project theme for the first year students was a site-specific exhibition and gallery, to inform visitors

about the history and future of Bubny, placed within the larger public space of the site. While the

project theme for the second and third years was to create the qualities, atmosphere and elements

of the new public spaces. 

The dimensions of the site allowed students to explore a range of scales in their projects

- from pedestrian boulevards to courtyards, gardens, and alleyways. While physically addressing

public space, as an urban design problem at a human scale, at the same time students sought to

envision a new 21st century spatial identity for this future center in Prague. 

Many of the projects included contrasts of high and low densities, mixed functions,

cultural buildings, public grounds and intimate gardens. There were ideas ranging from illuminated

topographies, to vertical garden courtyards, to ground paving geometries that echo the geometries

of the historical rail tracks, to urban farming and cultivated, concrete jungles.

The European Commission has recently awarded an Erasmus Charter for Higher Education to

ARCHIP!

The ERASMUS+ programme is an integral part of the European Lifelong Learning

Programme, and its objective is to facilitate exchange between students and faculties of individual

universities across a European partnership that includes neighboring countries as well. It aims to

encourage and to enable more visiting students, through support for study abroad programs, and

moreover, it provides a platform for further cooperation between universities, students and faculty

alike, with other organisations and companies.

At the moment there are 33 countries participating in the Lifelong Learning Programme.

This means that ARCHIP is now open to financed study stays, internships and other correspondences

with partner universities and organisations of this expanded educational network. There will be

more opportunities for our students and others to spend a period abroad.

You can visit the website for more information: https://eacea.ec.europa.eu/erasmus-plus_en

The faculty met to finalize the Architectural Design brief for next semester. Students of all three

years will be working on the existing - and abandoned - industrial rail depot located at the heart of

Bubny, near Argentinská street. Not long ago, this building was used to service Prague’s railways

and industries, as a storage and repair center for trains and machinery. The students’ projects will

explore possibilities for the future of this building.

Each of the three years will approach a different aspect of the building. And they will

investigate ways of both preserving and proposing adaptive re-use of this industrial monument. The

building’s exceptional architectural identity includes its massive footprint - 92 meters by 145 meters-

its iron columns, stone and brick details and its soaring skylit roof. While the building was once

protected by the Department of Heritage, it is currently not. The semester will explore possibilities

of how to subdivide the building into smaller pieces, how to incorporate new functions, and how to

interconnect it with its future urban surroundings.

ARCHIP will be working with others involved in the project throughout the semester.

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ARCHIPARCHITECTURAL

INSTITUTEIN PRAGUE

NEWSLETTER02/2015

FEBRUARY 2015 - ALL APPLICATIONS ARE INWe have received many applications from prospective students for next academic year - more than in the years before. ARCHIP also collaborated with several Turkish students from Bilkent University, who came to investigate the use of Bubny in their fourth year studio.

A NEW SEMESTER BEGINS

URBAN STRATEGIES - U. OF ARIZONA AT ARCHIP

A CONFERENCE ON ADAPTIVE REUSE + PLANNING

Archip welcomed back all the students from their winter break, and introduced new faces to the

school. An exchange has begun between ARCHIP and Judson University from Illinois, United States,

which has sent 5 visiting students to our school for this semester. And we were joined by some new

transfer students from Albania, Romania, Egypt and Libya.

The focus of this semester’s Architectural Design is on the rail depot building at the centre

of the Bubny area of Prague 7. As a background to their design projects, the students measured,

analysed and documented the architectural elements, the construction system, and the spatial

composition of this industrial building. Work began promptly with the making of a structural model

of a piece of this large hall at the scale of 1:25 - the model itself measures 1.2m x .8m x .5m.

Research continued with investigations of industrial renovation projects from each students’ home

country, and analyses of building typologies and cultural programs.

CooperationwithPřístav18600isalsoongoing,asstudentsarecombiningtheirwinning

entries from last semester’s competition into a single proposal and a group model.

ARCHIP was the proud host of an international groups of visiting students, who came to explore and

collaborateonprojectsfortheBubnysiteinPrague7.Fortwoweeks,amulti-disciplinaryteamof16

students became an energetic part of our studio community, led by Prof. Dr. Mark Frederickson from

the University of Arizona, and one of the founders of Tejido Group (http://www.tejidogroup.org/).

The research team was primarily fourth year students of architecture and landscape

architectureandincludedoneplanner.Theirgoalwastoinvestigatesustainableurbaninfill

strategies, for Bubny-Zatory, as a prototype for Prague. They produced three schemes- one low-

impact strategy, one densely woven strategy, and one strategy with a strong environmental focus on

functional transportation. They presented their results at the Conference.

The Tejido Group creates interdisciplinary and collaborative research projects all over the

world,andtheycametoPragueforthefirsttime.Prof.Dr.MarkFredericksonwillcomebackto

ARCHIP for three weeks in May as a Fulbright Specialist, and will contribute as an observer and an

academic advisor to the school.

TheConference,hostedbyARCHIPattheendofFebruary,wastitled“FromBrownfieldstoLiving

Urban Spaces” and addressed possible approaches to the conversion of the underused urban area of

Bubny-Zatory, Prague. The Conference began with Visions, Projects and Inspirations and concluded

with a Round Table Discussion with a full-range of stakeholders.

Participants included representatives from the Institute of Planning and Development of the

City of Prague, the Municipality of Prague 7, the owner of the site CPI Property Group, the architect

of the master plan CMC Architects, Czech and American academics and architects and of course our

students, faculty and guests. All stakeholders presented their visions and their aspirations for this

future 21st century urban centre. The discussions and debates spanned from the history of the site

to new strategies for environmental and urban design, community and citizen participation.

Amongmanyconclusionswerethatacompleteandfinalproposalcannotbeplannedin

advance; that clear guidelines for public infrastructure and civic facilities need to be established; and

thattheremustbeasite-specificvisionfor this new urban identity, within the context of Prague.

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ARCHIPARCHITECTURAL

INSTITUTEIN PRAGUE

NEWSLETTER03/2015

MARCH 2015 - OUR SUMMER PROGRAMWhite Swan - Wet (Moist) Architecture, a digital design and fabrication workshop, for professionals and students of Architecture, Industrial Design, Engineering, Art, Design, Computing. Participants will design and fabricate full-scale floating “architectural objects” on the Vltava River in Prague.

CULTURAIL FORUM - CONCEPT PRESENTATIONS

ARCHIP + BERGEN SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE

EXCURSION TO BRNO - VILLA TUGENDHAT

Students of the final year presented design concepts for their bachelor project CULTURAIL FORUM,

a renovation of the Bubny Rail Depot in Holešovice, approximately 10,000m2 in size. Each student

is proposing an individual response to the given site and building, yet all projects are underscored

by some fundamental themes they share: preservation of heritage, development of culture and

enhancing the urban greenery.

While the existing building is currently empty, its architectural elements have a character

and value which students have sought to express in their proposals. At the same time, the identity of

Prague 7 as a complex and poly-centric cultural district, has also influenced each student to propose

a 24 hour hub of urban activity. And the atmosphere of the abandoned urban landscape - naturally

overgrown with trees and meadows - has suggested a low-footprint approach to urban landscaping.

Among the range of new programs put forward by the students are: a School of the

Humanities, a Public Forum, a Musical Performance Hostel, a Fabrication Hub, a City in a City....

We wish all our Bachelor students a successful next few weeks!

Architectural Design tutors and some management members visited the Bergen School of

Architecture (BAS) in Bergen, Norway. ARCHIP went to BAS to start a new collaboration between

the two schools, exchange experience of teaching and enjoy the creative atmosphere in BAS!

Like ARCHIP, BAS is a young architecture school housed in a former industrial building

within the city. The two schools also share many common approaches to education, and are

planning future academic cooperation. Among some of the future plans between the schools, is the

possibility of hosting BAS students at ARCHIP and sharing a common design project.

During their visit to the school and the city, the tutors visited two recreational guesthouses

designed and hand-built by 2nd year students at BAS - the second is currently under construction.

These houses are free to rent, ecologically and economically mindful, and beautiful. There are

opportunities to realize similar projects in Prague, where ARCHIP students would get to design and

build a small urban cottage, and enable it to become a vital, local landmark within the city.

For more about the guesthouse in Bergen, visit: http://tubakuba.tumblr.com

ARCHIP students visited Brno, a city of modern culture near Vienna, and only 2.5 hours from Prague.

Brno is renown for its architecture, most especially Mies van der Rohe’s Villa Tugendhat, from 1929.

In the late 1920’s, Czechoslovakia was a global center of industry and design. This period

was exceptional for its modern innovations in all of the arts. In contrast to the massive and opaque

buildings of the previous era, rationality and transparency characterized this period of modernity.

This play between old and new is evident in the landscape of Villas Löw-Beer and Tugendhat: on one

piece of land, two houses face each other - one massive, heavy and stone, the other linear, floating

and glass. The emerging technologies and philosophies of the young century gave expression to new

ideas of architecture, space and interiors. After 85 years, the Villa Tugendhat still mesmerizes, with

its sophisticated capturing of the possibilities of light into spatial form.

Our architectural tour included a private visit to these two, recently reconstructed Villas

Löw-Beer and Tugendhat, a fine lunch at Café Era, and a walk through the city center, revealing all

the contrasts of Brno’s modern and neo-classical buildings standing side by side.

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ARCHIPARCHITECTURAL

INSTITUTEIN PRAGUE

NEWSLETTER04/2015

APRIL 2015 - MASTERS PROGRAM AT ARCHIP We are pleased to announce the expansion of ARCHIP’s academic program - introducing a fourth and fifth year of studies towards a Masters degree in Architecture! The Masters program will begin this 2015/16 Winter term. The new deadline for applications is May 11, 2015. Five scholarships will be awarded.

VISUAL STORYTELLING WITH FILIP BLAŽEK

ARCHIP VISITS SHANGHAI

“CONTESTED CITY” - A CONFERENCE

Graphic designer (and teacher at ARCHIP) Filip Blažek gave a special lecture to our students on what

he called ‘visual storytelling’. He presented strategies on design and layout and communication of

visual ideas, specifically for students of architecture. The lecture provided not only a technical but

also a theoretical approach towards the making of posters, portfolios and presentations.

Throughout the interactive lecture - which was part workshop - analogies were drawn

between graphic design and architecture. Simple and constant rules for the organization and

balance of elements should be used as guidelines - like an architectural grid - towards creating more

complex results. There were more themes common to these two disciplines, for example the use

of alignments, hierarchies, elements, emphasis, mixed ‘points of entry’ and the use of ‘white spaces’.

In the graphic image, white space helps read type - it is an element of equal value to the type itself

- just as in the urban composition, the space around buildings must be constructed with equal

consideration as the buildings themselves.

After the lecture, Mr. Blažek visited studios to consult with students on their projects.

ARCHIP took a three day trip to Shanghai to visit Jiguang Polytechnic College and to establish a

future cooperation between our schools. Our communications began in October last year, when they

visited our school and made a formal invitation for us to visit their school in Shanghai.

We toured their campus and classrooms and made a presentation about ARCHIP, our

student work and student life. Discussions began on the possibility to establish exchange programs

not only between our faculties but also between our students. Students from Jiguang Polytechnic

College could come to ARCHIP towards their Bachelor degrees, and students from ARCHIP could

spend a semester abroad in Shanghai. Perhaps as soon as the Winter 2015/16 semester, professor

and architect Jun Pu will begin this new exchange here at ARCHIP as a visiting teacher.

We also had the opportunity to visit the Suzhou Museum, by I.M. Pei. The building captures

the spirit of the region - its particular urban identity which integrates infrastructure, landscape and

architecture into one. Gardens, canals, bridges and nature mix within a dense residential fabric,

creating a beautiful environment.

ARCHIP was a co-organizer of the conference CONTESTED CITY. EUROPEAN EXPERIENCE WITH

CITIZEN PARTICIPATION IN DESIGNING STRATEGIC VISIONS OF CITY, which took place over three

days at Bio Oko and ARCHIP.

The conference was based on the premise that ideal urban development connects

the interests of citizens, developers, investors and politicians. The focus was on the European

experience with citizens’ participation in designing strategic visions of cities, and was presented in

an educational rather than an academic way. The conference presented municipal politicians and

authorities, NGOs, professionals and students of disciplines concerned with town and strategic

planning with personal experience and actual approaches in participatory urban planning.

Lectures were organized into themes of “The role of civic protests energy in strategic

planning” and “the role of capital and entrepreneurs in the local planning context”, and examples

were presented from the Netherlands and Romania among others.

You can find out more about the conference at: http://www.contested-city.cz/en/

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ARCHIPARCHITECTURAL

INSTITUTEIN PRAGUE

NEWSLETTER05/2015

MAY 2015 - END OF THE YEAR EXHIBITION You can visit this year’s Exhibition of student works, displayed in our main studio space, beginning Friday May 29th. Earlier this month, the Ecology course visited the unusual West Bohemian town of Ostrov nad Ohří, to make an on-site workshop in a public space.

ON EDUCATION - MARK FREDERICKSON + ARCHIP

CULTURAIL FORUM BUBNY - FINAL PROJECTS

DESIGN DISCO - HIGH SCHOOL OUTREACH

Dr. Mark Frederickson came to ARCHIP on a Fulbright Grant in January to work on a proposal for

Bubny with his class of 16 students. He returned this month to present the final results of their

project and to speak with students and faculty about his working methodology.

The intensive semester involves a 2 week workshop (which happened at ARCHIP in

January), 10 weeks of project development and 2 weeks for the final production. From the beginning,

an emphasis is placed on “Ordering Systems” as a tool for evaluating the relative merit of ideas.

These encompass five basic elements and include: aesthetic, function, economic, social/cultural,

and environmental. Great attention is also given to collaborative design across disciplines, and on

the practice of asking “so what?”. The overall master plan synthesizes infrastructure, ecology, and

public space, weaving together arts and education, housing, sports, water treatment facilities, fish

farms, public transportation, urban agriculture, energy generation and urban greenery.

It is worth noting that the project received a 2015 AIA Design Excellence Award.

A publication of the project can be found here: http://www.blurb.com/books/6230361-praha-7

All three years of ARCHIP students presented their projects for the Bubny rail depot building - with

each year of students focusing on a different architectural scale and urban relationship.

Each first year project was placed within a single east-west bay of the building. These

individual bays were to be independent yet interconnected, and together make a continuous, striated

master plan of multiple functions for the building. Each second year project was placed within the

north-south bay to the west of the building. This bay, at the edge of a future urban square, was to

be a civic building that communicates with its urban context. Each third year project was placed

within the entire building and the landscape to its east. The project was to create an urban, cultural

landscape that would integrate a complex range of functions and become a new center of the city.

Proposals ranged from schools to museums, performing arts centers to collaborative

hubs, and everything in between. All projects addressed a different approach to preservation and

demolition, the challenge of integrating old and new structures, and the philosophical question of

creating a 21st century identity within a 19th century place.

ARCHIP students Jason Nam (‘14) and Ben James (‘16) have founded, developed and launched

‘Design Disco!’ - a design education program that introduces Czech high school students to the fields

of architecture and design.

The program is student-led and relies on other ARCHIP students, like Atoosa Ghanaei (‘15)

and Nastya Lavrova (‘16), to help serve as tutors to the high school students and to oversee projects

and give design lectures. To date, Design Disco! has held lectures at four local high schools around

Prague, and is now set to launch its first summer workshop on June 20th at Archip, with students

from multiple high schools.

This month, Design Disco! visited Gymnázium Nad Alejí and Gymnazium Postupická for a

creative workshop. The students were to design a capsule for an egg that not only had to look nice,

but also had to protect the egg from a drop. The students designed some very creative egg capsules

using everything from water to parachutes to keep their eggs intact.

For more information about Design Disco! find them here: www.archip.eu/designdisco

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ARCHIPARCHITECTURAL

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NEWSLETTER06/2015

JUNE 2015 - COMPLETION OF ANOTHER YEAR Summer holidays have begun, and many cultural and educational activities are taking place around ARCHIP, for instance, the reSITE Festival “The Shared City” and the annual “Architects on a boat” event on the river Vltava.Our summer program “White Swan - Wet (Moist) Architecture” begins July 27.

FINAL STATE EXAMINATIONS

DIPLOMAS! ARCHIP CLASS OF 2015

The Final State Examinations took place in the beginning of June, and were split over two days.

Bachelor students presented their models and drawings, and defended their work against questions

by the jury. The exams were open to the public, and they were an opportunity for some of ARCHIP’s

former graduates to visit, as well as for the younger students to see what challenges await them!

The jury evaluating the designs represented the disciplines of Architecture, Construction

and History. Particular attention was given to the choice and organisation of new program, the

architectural form, its relationship to context and to the contemporary character of the architecture.

Matters of construction concerned the vocabulary of architectural elements as well as building

systems and building technologies, including energy and environmental systems. The understanding

of historical precedents and important buildings throughout history, from ancient to contemporary

times was also assessed, in addition to students’ knowledge of specific works from their own

countries.

Despite their nerves, all Bachelors passed their exams, with success!

This June 16 marked the second graduation ceremony of ARCHIP. The event took place at Villa

Pellé, in the idyllic neighborhood of Praha-Bubeneč, reknown for its luxurious villas and embassies.

Family, friends and colleagues gathered to celebrate the school, the graduates, and the memories of

years shared together.

This year’s ten graduates represented the countries of Spain, Slovakia, France, Norway,

Estonia, Iran, the United States and the Czech Republic. An award of distinction was given to Sondre

Hermundstad (Norway), and the student speech was performed by Feliks Isaksen (Norway). Among

the graduates, some will begin internships at architectural offices in their home countries, some

will begin training in construction, while others will continue their education either at ARCHIP or

elsewhere.

An informal and friendly celebration in the Villa’s gardens followed the ceremony, where

faculty and families were finally able to meet and speak in person, in a most creative and elegant

atmosphere. Congratulations to all!

reSITE - The Shared CityThe annual festival and conference reSITE took place this June 18-19 at Forum Karlín. This year’s

theme asked What does shared space, shared architecture and the shared landscape look like in

“The Shared City”?

Since its founding in 2012 (with ARCHIP as a founding partner) the organisation has grown

into a major urban happening attracting people from around the city and the world, open to anyone

interested in the future of their city. The event brought together experts and citizens, professionals

and politicians from the United States, Iceland, the UK and Austria to name a few. In addition to

hosting a bike ride through Prague and an open-data workshop focusing on using geodata for more

effective urban planning and development, there was also a workshop about the Bubny Railyard and

the strategy for development of Prague railway brownfields in general. These to name just a few.

For those of you who are planning to be in Prague next June, this is a creatively educational

event you won’t want to miss!

For more information about the conference, visit http://www.resite.cz/en/

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ARCHIPARCHITECTURAL

INSTITUTEIN PRAGUE

NEWSLETTER07/2015

SEPTEMBER 2015 - BEGINNING OF A NEW YEAR This month began with a host of cultural events throughout the city of Prague, including Architecture Day, the Landscape Festival Prague 2015, as well as public lectures on urban design and exhibitions on visual arts, to name a few. The 2015-16 year also marks the first year of Master’s program at ARCHIP!

ZAŽÍT MĚSTO JINAK / DIFFERENT CITY EXPERIENCE

ACADEMIC YEAR 2015/16 - THE FIRST DAY

Over the past 10 years, “Different City Experience” has become one of the more popular community

events in Prague and across the country. ARCHIP took part in this neighbourhood street celebration

on a sunny Saturday afternoon. Students’ projects were on display on Veverková street, around the

corner from our school.

The main aim of the weekend event is for neighborhoods to celebrate the possibilities of

their public spaces and streetscapes, as places of cultural and community life, where people can

meet and deepen their neighbourly relations. Activities are open to people of all ages, and took place

in more than 60 locations in Prague. Auto*Mat, which is the main sponsor, is an organization that

supports public, pedestrian and cycle transit in cities, and encourages people to positively influence

their streets and public spaces. Since 2014, “Different City Experience” is supported by grants from

the EHP funds of Iceland, Lichtenstein and Norway.

Our students’ models were on display as just one part of a larger celebration, which

included authors’ readings and art workshops, street performances, music, food and films.

On the first day of academic year 2015/16, ARCHIP welcomed 30 new students to our Bachelor’s and

Master’s programs. Together the students are representing more than 25 countries, including the

United States, Uzbekistan, Kazhakstan, Singapore, Indonesia, Montenegro, Croatia, Libya, Lebanon,

Mexico, the Czech Republic!

We are looking forward to spend the next 3 or 5 years together, as well as to a great

and productive year. Our first week of Student Orientation included settling into the school and

surroundings, and even included a friendly ARCHIP floorball match.

Students quickly settled into the new academic year, and have not wasted any time

beginning this semester’s design project. All four years of students met at the site of this semester’s

project, at Přistav 18600 in Karlín Prague 8, where Bachelor’s students will be designing, and

ultimately building, three small cottages by the riverside. Master’s students will be designing a

sensitive and site-specific urban project. The site visit was not only the first step in the design

process, but also an opportunity for all the students, across all years, to interact.

GLOBAL AD - TRIP TO NOVÝ BORThe Global Architectural Design studio embarked upon a research trip to Nový Bor.

Nový Bor is in the Lužický Hills, in the North of the country, near the German border. The

city is reknown for its history in the glass production industry, a tradition which can be traced to the

medieval times and continues today. The Nový Bor region is home to some of the first glass schools

in central europe. Today, many famous Czech contemporary glass artists have their workshops in

the city and surrounding areas. There are even glass-making workshops with attached restaurants,

giving visitors the opportunity to watch and practice glass making themselves.

The students went to Nový Bor not only to learn about the physical process of making

glass, but also the material sciences involved. While watching glass-blowers at work, they were

investigating themes of material plasticity; properties of physical and material transformation;

the relationships between liquid and solid states; and the influences that the formwork of wooden

molds have upon the final results. The insight gained from this hands-on experience of material

transformation, fluid dynamics and form, will be incorporated into their studio projects.

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NEWSLETTER08/2015

OCTOBER 2015 - DESIGN PROJECTS UNDERWAYAndrea Vattovani Architecture lectured on “Programmed Glocalization”.Students from the Global Architectural Design (GAD) Studio visited the Vila Tugendhat, by Mies Van der Rohe, in Brno. And the school threw a Halloween party.

MASTER’S PROGRAMME CONCEPT REVIEWS

“MY SPACE” PRESENTATIONS

This semester’s Master’s programme is led by Pavel Nasadil, principal and founder of FAM architekti,

based in Prague 7. The theme of this project is “Size and Sensitivity”.

ThesiteisadjacenttoPřístav18600,alongtheriverbankofKarlín,andincludespartof

Rohanskýostrov.Thisareaoftheinnercityisnotdefinedasbuildablearea,anditisneitherpark

nor forest. The theme, withitsfocusonsensitivityaimstodefinealargesitethroughurbanand

architectural interventions that settle within the recreational and natural context of the site, while

mediating between two urban neighborhoods, and can become a shared center of both.

Developing through a research phase, with analysis of the historical morphology of the

site and the physical, social and environmental elements of the contemporary context, Master’s

students, as a group, presented their concept for an overall urban infrastructure and zoning of the

wholearea,andtheyaredevelopingindividualdesignstofitwithinthiscollectiveplan.Preliminary

proposals, each supplemented by a range of social and environmentally supportive activities, include

abridgebetweenHolešoviceandKarlín,aspa,atheatreandcommunityagriculture.

First year students presented their projects for My Space.

Every year students are asked to imagine their ideal space where they could spend one

month. This space is to be situated within a single bay of the main studio space, and as such, is not

only an interior design project, but also one that must address and connect with an existing social

environment.

Modelsatthescaleof1:10werepresentedtostudentsandfacultyoftheschooland

students then voted for their three favorite proposals. Twenty projects were presented, each one

with a distinct identity. Thisyear’swinnerswereKazimirWinter(USA)whopresentedathree-

dimensionalfieldofinhabitablepapertubesofvaryingproportions,eachwithaspecificfunction,and

whichframeashared,centralcourtyardwhereplantscangrow.TinaAtari(NO)presentedaflexible

layoutofmovable,translucentcoloredglasswallsthatcanbereconfiguredtosuitherchanging

needs,andatthesimetimeproduceakaleidescopeofcolors.InesBalic(HR)presentedaprivate

living space, complete with lighting, water features and highly detailed furniture.

THE LIBRARY AT ARCHIPThe library is both a physical space and an idea.

Itcanbeasingleroom,evenawall,itcanbeanationalinstitution,oraninfinitesphere.

The library, like a single book in itself, is usually a closed space. Yet, within its covers promises a

seeminglyinfiniteexpanseofdiscoveries.JorgeLuisBorgesimaginedthelibraryasanever-ending

architectural artifact, a place where all points in time are central and the center is never found.

ArchitectureandtheLibraryhavealwayshadanintimaterelationship,asymbolicandphysical

codependence, they are both houses for Humanity.

AndthelibraryatARCHIPisnoexception.Withthehelpofa number of students and

librarian Zuzana Schulzová, the library is available to all our students and faculty alike, each day of

the week. It is a growing asset for the school. This month, a number of new journals and books were

added to the collection. Have a look! There are already many books and periodicals on architecture,

history, the Humanities, art and literature and more.

Inthefuture,ARCHIPwillcontributeitsownbooktothislibrary-apublicationofstudentworks...Érik Desmazières

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NEWSLETTER09/2015

NOVEMBER 2015 - SITE VISITS AND EXCURSIONSSecond-year students and their Structural Engineering instructor Ivan Němec visited the building site of the new development Sacre Coeur2 Residence in Prague 5, Smíchov. And first year students visited all the nooks and crannies of the Wastewater Treatment Plant in Bubeneč.

GAD STUDENTS VISIT BERLIN - ANNUAL SUMMIT

“LIGHTHOUSE” - A CREATIVE PUBLIC LANDMARK

The annual summit of CIEE Global Architecture and Design programs across Europe (Prague,

Barcelona and Berlin) took place again this year. It is an opportunity for peers from different schools

within the same program to meet, to present their semester projects and to share ideas.

ARCHIP’s Global Architecture and Design students were among those who were thrilled

to meet with Daniel Libeskind during this summit. The students participated in his lecture and had

the great chance to meet with him for an hour to ask questions regarding his work and to discuss

architecture in general.

Daniel Libeskind established his architectural studio in Berlin, Germany, in 1989 after

winning the competition to build the Jewish Museum in Berlin. In February 2003, Studio Libeskind

moved its headquarters from Berlin to New York City when he was selected as the master planner

for the World Trade Center redevelopment. Daniel Libeskind’s practice is involved in designing and

realizing a diverse array of urban, cultural and commercial projects internationally.

The students found the trip meaningful on both an academic and a personal level.

First-year students were split into 6 teams and tasked to design a symbolic “lighthouse”.

This “Light(er-than-water)House” was to be a floating object - a temporary, interactive installation -

right on the edge of Štvanice island, and was to promote the Přístav 18600 site and its activities on

the Karlín riverfront. The models were later tested onsite in the water.

The projects reflected the function of a lighthouse - by being a landmark and a signal - but

they did not simply look or function solely as a lighthouse. The students’ proposals included multiple

additional functions, means of social interactions and landscape qualities. Additionally, each project

integrated a creative use of lighting features to amplify their proposals, producing an image and an

identity that transforms from day to night.

The winning proposal was an interconnected landscape of “lily pads”, a floating illuminated

park, which extends from the island and offers different types of greenery and places for recreation.

The whole composition is organised by height, scale and type, as an echo of Prague’s urban form.

Congratulations on a successful team building project!

WORKSHOP IN LIECHTENSTEINJan Schindler (one of our Architectural Design studio leaders at Archip) and Zuzana Drahotová led a

student workshop at KunstschuleLiechtenstein.

The theme was the design and production of prototype seating furniture from cardboard.

The project had no construction or formal specifications defined in advance, however function,

usability and comfort were the key design guidelines. Processes such as folding, combining, shaping

and cutting served as the basic design tools. Yet, the prototype designs were defined first by a

strong conceptual idea.

The workshop was divided into three themes over five days. Students worked in groups

of two to develop first a concept in sketches and models at 1:10, then to develop the structure,

systems, materials, details, joints and components, and finally to build the full scale models at 1:1.

During their stay Jan Schindler and Zuzana Drahotová also gave a lecture “Between theory

and practice” at the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Liechtenstein.

We are planning more cooperation between our two schools in the future! Visit www.kunstschule.li

build it up

ARCHIPARCHITECTURAL

INSTITUTEIN PRAGUE

NEWSLETTER10/2015

DECEMBER 2015 - MARKING ANOTHER YEAR ARCHIP hosted an acoustics design competition and students presented their proposals for ceiling-mounted design solutions for the main studio space. This year has marked the beginning of our Master’s program, as well as the third year of the GAD program.

THE IMAGES OF POST-POLIS - ARTUR JASINSKI

IN[CUBE]ATOR - FINAL PRESENTATIONS

Artur Jasinski, the author of The Images of Post-Polis, presented his book and research project on

the phenomena of contemporary urbanization, in a lecture at ARCHIP.

The Images of Post-Polis project is a bid to present the phenomena of the development

of contemporary metropolises, the post-industrial cities at the turn of the 21st century. A series of

photographs and complementary texts illustrate the notions of blurring city borders, multiplications

and flows, the excess of information, commercialisation of public space and the dynamics of

contemporary identity. The metropolis becomes a space of flows and its main actor is an alien.

Today the city, and especially huge ones consist of people in continuous movement, living from day to

day, not belonging to a local community, and disjoined from a location.

Artur Jasinski is principal of Artur Jasinki and Partners and professor at the Department

of Architecture and Fine Arts of Andrzej Frycz Modrzewski Krakow University. His research and

publications focus on the impact of contemporary modernization and globalization processes on

urbanism, architecture, and professional practice.

Bachelor students presented their final projects for In[Cube]ator, a small, temporary dwelling

located within the area of Přístav 18600 in Karlín. Students, faculty and the organisers of Přístav

18600 selected one winning project from each studio to be built. The winners were Lars Schmidt

(DE), Jasper Cooper (NL) and Kryštof Redčenkov (CZ). Each of these projects provide double-

purposes, as a place for temporary dwelling and as additional public features within the Přístav

recreational landscape.

Each studio will be working as a team, over the next few weeks, to produce a complete set

of construction drawings for each project, having to consider real materials, assembly, costs and

construction. The projects will be built by our students in cooperation with Přístav during the Spring

of 2016. We will keep you informed!

Meanwhile, the Master students are completing their site-sensitive architectural

landscapes on the adjacent site, and the Global AD students have presented the results of their

semestral project, a musical venue, situated across the river, on Štvanice Island.

ANNUAL ARCHIP CHRISTMAS PARTYThis year, ARCHIP celebrated two christmas parties. The first one, organised by the school, took

place in Café Jedna in the Veletržní Palác, and the second student-organised dinner took place at

ARCHIP. The dinner is already a tradition, and as expected, it was a celebration.

Students, faculty and graduates met to enjoy food, music, games and conversation. The

student-organised initiative transformed the large studio space into a great dining hall, equipped

with a long banquet table running down the centre. It is a forum and an event where students’

backgrounds, native climates and food palettes are shared. As per tradition, students were each to

cook traditional foods from their own countries. An added benefit of having such an international

community of students at ARCHIP is the wide-ranging field of foods, colours and tastes that get

displayed across the dining table! Among others, there were traditional recipes from Russia,

Slovakia, China, Norway, Israel, Finland and Mexico. It was an international feast!

Thanks to all who collaborated with us over this year. We wish everyone a happy and

successful 2016!