The Czech Republic of the future. Young architects presented more than a hundred unconventional ideas

Rice fields in Pardubice Region or Prague one storey higher – utopia or vision? More than 140 architecture and urban planning students gathered in the spring under the guidance of Dutch architect Winy Maas. The aim of the CZ2 Visions for the Future of the Czech Republic workshop was to bring together young architects to reflect in a fresh way on the challenges facing the Czech Republic – whether it be ecology, transport or housing.

In addition to the BUT, the ten-day workshop in May was also attended by students from the FA CTU, ARCHIP, TU Liberec and TU Delft. "The students used statistics, such as how much snow we get each year or how many tons of waste we produce. Some ideas – for example, using abandoned religious buildings to retain water in the landscape – seem almost utopian. However, they open a debate on principles that already are or will be essential in the near future based on data," says Michal Palaščák, head of the studio at the FA BUT.

The ideas covered ten areas – economics, housing, transport infrastructure, population density, ecology, afforestation, national parks, industrial production, sociology and demography. Thus, among the hundreds of original student visions were a high-speed railway connecting the country, the placement of wind turbines along railway lines, or the establishment of a European capital in Prague to unify commuting for MEPs.

It is the modelling of new situations and encouraging the principle of thinking outside the box that Palaščák sees as essential for the next generation of urban planners and architects. "What is currently missing in our profession is an overlap into the future. Architecture is slightly stagnating in its field and is approaching industrial design. Artificial intelligence will soon be able to design nice houses. But an architect should be able to think, analyse data and come up with unconventional solutions," adds Palaščák.

The workshop was led by Dutch architect and professor Winy Maas, who is the founder of the think-tank The Why Factory and explores the possibilities of developing European cities based on statistical data. In recent years, he has designed architectural visions for Zurich and Oslo. He is currently a visiting professor at the CTU and also heads the studio MVRDV known for its innovative approach to building and landscape architecture.

"Rarely can students collaborate with an architectural star of similar calibre and thus become part of something that goes beyond Brno and the Czech Republic," comments Palaščák. He positively evaluates the establishment of cooperation of young architects across different universities and mutual inspiration.

The original ideas were processed by the students into 3D models and integrated into a large map at a scale of 1 : 20 000. The multi-storey exhibition could be viewed in the atrium of the FA CTU and part of it will be on display at the FA BUT. Politicians, including President Petr Pavel, have also became familiar with the ideas. A new book, to be published later this year by the participating TU Delft University, will present how young architects see the Czech future.

The exhibition should be the first step towards creating a platform to stimulate a conceptual debate on architecture, landscape, sustainability and biodiversity.

(mar)

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