In ERA21 #05/2018, dedicated to the 100th anniversary of Czechoslovakia, we published an interview with the „anniversary old man“, Karel Kroupa. While reading it, hadn’t you wondered... who is this admirable, partiotic man? Where did he come from? How is it possible that you’ve never heard about him?

The explanation is simple. Karel Kroupa doesn’t exist. The interview is a literary work, where the author, Rostislav Koryčánek, deliberately used key events of the past century, events related to history of architecture as well as that of the nation as a whole. We have created Karel Kroupa with the intention that he could, in the fashion of Jára Cimrman or Forrest Gump, become a part of the course of events and thus also a guide through the history of Czechoslovak architecture. He would embody the ideal of the national hero who we could admire for his beliefs. Because – let’s face it – right now there’s no surplus of national heroes.

Dear readers, we sincerely hope you can forgive us for making this little „joke“. Our intentions were good. The anniversary issue of ERA21 was very special to us and we let ourselves be especially creative. And, if you’re wondering who the man in the picture is, stay tuned until the next issue, out at the beginning of December.

Architect Matúš Vallo is well-known for his own studio but also because he initiated several projects dealing with public urban space; the most prominent being Urban Interventions. Two and a half years ago he assembled a team of professionals from various fields concerned with city management. Together the team wrote the book, Plan Bratislava. The analyses and proposals included in this book were used as a basis for Matúš Vallo’s current campaign to become the mayor of Bratislava.

V reakci na uveřejnění otevřeného dopisu podepsaného ateliérem Vizage s.r.o. ve věci soutěže na „Dětské sportovně-kulturní centrum Staré Brno“ nám do redakce dorazila reakce Ing. arch. Petra Bořeckého, zastupitele Brna-střed a člena Rady městské části Brno-střed pro výstavbu a územní rozvoj. Plné znění dopisu nyní zveřejňujeme.

The petition demanding that the American Institute of Architects (AIA) forbids design of spaces for “killing, torture, or brutal, inhumane and humiliating treatment” – specifically death chambers and solitary confinements employed in US prisons – has triggered a groundswell of controversies. AIA refused to change its ethical code at the end of 2014, arguing that it’s not meant to “create limitations of members’ activities according to specific building types”. The discussion still goes on: AIA has been considering the reassessment of its attitude since February.

DRN is a new mixed-use building erected on the prominent corner of Národní and Mikulandská streets in the centre of Prague. There'd previously been a parking lot on the site, since 1966. It is adjoined by the baroque Schönkirch Palace. By combining the Palace with a new contemporary building, a mixed-use “palace” with a courtyard, shops, restaurants and offices was created. The intermingling of the baroque world with the modern, the old with the new; those are the main motifs that permeate the project and can be found in the main structural elements as well as small parts of the interior.