The 8th Open House Prague festival is ready for the annual celebration of Prague’s architecture, this time taking place on May 16–22, 2022. On the weekend of May 21–22, the festival is set to open 101 buildings and spaces across Prague for free, and starting May 16, there is also going to be an eventful accompanying program featuring lectures, discussions, and special guided tours. The full list of all open buildings is now available at www.openhousepraha.cz/en/festival-2022-2/.
“We are opening not only industrial buildings and modern buildings with various awards for quality and eco-friendly technologies but also iconic, unique constructions which represent the historical and cultural wealth of Prague. We uncover unknown or hidden cultural projects of excellent architects, artists, and craftsmen, and we present the forgotten stories of constructors, owners, and their descendants,” says festival director Andrea Šenkyříková.
With tours for people with disabilities, families with children, and long-term foreign residents of Prague, Open House Prague is aimed at all members of the general public. “The festival is first and foremost a community project, and we want everyone to be able to enjoy the festival with us. That is why we welcome fellow enthusiasts-volunteers who want to help us open the city for everyone. Without them, the event would never be able to take place,” says Andrea Šenkyříková. Anyone can become a volunteer, regardless of age, nationality, and profession. The application form is available here.
A Triple Anniversary: Plečnik – Ullmann – Janák
This year’s program is dedicated to commemorating the birth of several significant architects who were active in the Czech lands during their life. January marked the 150th anniversary of the birth of Slovenian architect and urbanist Jože Plečnik. On this occasion, the festival offers a guided tour of one of the most remarkable sacral buildings in the Czech Republic, the Church of the Most Sacred Heart of Our Lord in the district of Vinohrady. Visitors can enter not only the nave but also the underground crypt and the lower part of the church’s tower.
The organizers have also paid attention to Vojtěch Ignác Ullmann, born 200 years ago in April, who represents the so-called Czech Neo-Renaissance. “We are inviting you to the magical Villa Lanna in Bubeneč, built as a summer residence of businessman, art collector, and patron Vojtěch Lanna Jr. Visitors can also enter the historical halls of the first Prague Sokol Gymnasium in Nové Město, admire the white-and-red sgraffito decoration and interiors of the former Secondary School for Girls in Vodičkova Street, and look inside Ullmann’s last Prague realization, the Czech Polytechnic Institute in Charles Square, now the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at CTU,” says Andrea Šenkyříková.
Lastly, March marked the 140th anniversary of the birth of architect Pavel Janák. To celebrate him and the buildings he designed throughout his life, the program includes the Clubhouse of the Autoclub of the Czech Republic, the functionalist EA Hotel Juliš in Wenceslas Square, Adria
Palace, built in the so-called national style, and the constructivist Church of the Hus Congregation in Vinohrady with an unmistakable bell tower.
Other New Buildings
This year, there are 26 buildings that are participating for the first time ever. Visitors can even see architecturally interesting and not usually accessible buildings in more remote parts of Prague, too, such as Zbraslav, Modřany, and Komořany. The list of open buildings includes the recently finished Prague 12 Town Hall, the Komořany Chateau (now used by the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute) and its surroundings, or the freshly reconstructed Zbraslav Clubhouse, a community center designed by Projektil studio located in a former washhouse. “We had considered Zbraslav a few years ago already, and I am happy that we have finally managed to open some of the interesting buildings in this area. I also recommend the former bell foundry in Zbraslav, where the Manoušek family used to cast bells for many of Prague’s temples, including the Church of the Most Sacred Heart of our Lord or the Church of the Hus Congregation in Vinohrady. Unfortunately, the 2002 floods ended this family tradition, but Mr. Manoušek himself will be there to share fascinating information about his craft,” says Andrea Šenkyříková.
The program also features for example the reconstructed UMPRUM Technology Center in Mikulandská Street with spacious interiors and superior equipment for students; the Czech Institute of Informatics, Robotics and Cybernetics at the Czech Technical University in Prague, a building with an unmistakable pneumatic façade located in the university campus in Dejvice; and former Electrical Enterprises, now Bubenská 1, the biggest and most significant monument of inter-war functionalist architecture in Prague. At the time of construction, the latter was considered a symbol of the upcoming new age of modern architecture and progress. “This monumental administration building has recently been reconstructed by TaK Architects, and visitors can see how they have managed to preserve the building’s esthetic effect and the valuable details in the original technology with their award-winning reconstruction project,” says Andrea Šenkyříková.
Details on the program are also available on the festival’s Facebook event Open House Praha 2022.
Watch the trailer!
Invitation to Open House Worldwide
Open House Prague is part of Open House Worldwide, an international network of the Open House festivals which take place in more than 50 cities around the world. The network will stage its second collaborative event – titled Housing and the People – on Saturday, April 9, 2022. The virtual festival includes a 12-hour livestream with live tours of pioneering housing models from cities across the Open House Worldwide network, including Dublin, Lagos, London, Melbourne, New York, Oslo, Prague, Taiwan, Valencia, Vienna, and more. The festival will be broadcast from 6 am to 6 pm UTC on April 9, 2022 on YouTube.
Open House Prague will be presenting the Ďáblice Housing Estate located in northern Prague. Designed in the 1960s, the housing estate is now considered one of the most architecturally valuable projects of this kind in the Czech Republic. Although the urban concept is based on modernist ideas, it is similar to a traditional city concept with streets and squares. “Here you can find various types of panel buildings, a lot of greenery, and a number of facilities, such as shops, schools, or cultural centers. Another unique feature is the look of the panel buildings, which – thanks to various details – are not as uniform as in other housing estates. The artistic works located in the public space are also in the center of interest now,” says architect Ondřej Tuček, who will guide the online tour. He is the grandson of Viktor Tuček, the original main architect of the Ďáblice Housing Estate between 1967 and 1982. Ondřej Tuček is a citizen of Ďáblice and actively takes part in the discussion around future development of this unique urbanist complex. The tour will start at 8 am UTC and will be broadcast from the roof of one of the panel buildings. More details on the livestream can be found here.
Open House Prague on social media
#openhousepraha, #ohp2022, #openhousepraha2022
#OHWWfestival, #housingandthepeople Facebook | Instagram | Linked In | Youtube Open House Praha 2022 – Facebook event Housing and the People – Facebook event
Contact person for media
Michaela Pánková, [email protected], +420 724 213 136
About Open House Prague
Open House Praha, z. ú. is a non-profit, non-state organization which holds a festival of the same name on one weekend (usually) in May with a week-long accompanying program. The concept of the festival was born in London in 1992 under the leadership of Victoria Thornton, who holds the Order of the British Empire. After the organization acquired a license to hold Open House Prague, the festival took place in the Czech Republic for the first time in 2015 and has since become one of the most important cultural events in Prague. The patroness of the festival is Eva Jiřičná, a Czech architect who lives in London. She was at the start of Open House London and was a part of it for 20 years as a member of the administrative board as well as a volunteer, and she represents an imaginary bridge between Prague and the founding city. Open House Prague is a proud member of Open House Worldwide, an international network which joins together 50 cities on 6 different continents. Aside from the festival, the organization also focuses on various activities throughout the year (for volunteers, partners, the Architecture Lovers Club, the public), including educational programs for children, young adults, and people with disabilities.
The festival is held under the auspices of the following people: Nick Archer – ambassador of the United Kingdom; Zdeněk Hřib – mayor of Prague; Petr Hlaváček – deputy mayor of Prague; Hana Třeštíková – councilor for culture, protected buildings care, exhibitions, and tourist industry; Naděžda Goryczková – CEO of the National Heritage Institute; Petr Hejma – mayor of the Prague 1 Municipal District; Alexandra Udženija – mayor of the Prague 2 Municipal District; Jiří Ptáček – mayor of the Prague 3 Municipal District; Irena Michalcová – mayor of the Prague 4 Municipal District; Renáta Zajíčková – mayor of the Prague 5 Municipal District; Ondřej Kolář – mayor of the Prague 6 Municipal District; Jan Čižinský – mayor of the Prague 7 Municipal District; Ondřej Gros – mayor of the Prague 8 Municipal District; Tomáš Bryknar – mayor of the Prague-Troja Municipal District; and Zuzana Vejvodová – mayor of the Prague-Zbraslav Municipal District.
Financial support: Hlavní město Praha, Státní fond kultury, Nadace české architektury, Městská část Praha 6, Městská část Praha 7
Partners: Mapy.cz, Bageterie Boulevard, 360pizza, ekolo.cz, Rekola, Czech Repubrick, EMPYREUM Information Technologies, AI DESIGN, Hestia – centrum pro dobrovolnictví, Technologické centrum UMPRUM
Partners of programs for people with disabilities: Ústav jazyků a komunikace neslyšících FF UK, Česká unie neslyšících, Nadační fond Českého rozhlasu Světluška, Středisko Teiresiás Masarykovy univerzity, Technická univerzita v Liberci – Fakulta umění a architektury
Main media partner: Mall.tv
Media partners: Reflex, Český rozhlas Rádio DAB Praha, TV Architect Studio, TV Bydlení, Luxury Prague Life, ERA21, Intro, Architect+, Archizoom, Estav, Propamátky, S dětmi v Praze
Open House Prague is part of Open House Worldwide, an international network.
New Buildings in This Year’s Program
1. Adria Palace
2. Boiler House of the General University Hospital in Prague
3. Church of St. Adalbert
4. Church of the Hus Congregation in Vinohrady
5. Church of the Hus Congregation in Zbraslav
6. Church of the Most Sacred Heart of Our Lord
7. Cibulka Homestead
8. Clubhouse of the Autoclub of the Czech Republic
9. Czech Institute of Informatics, Robotics and Cybernetics (CIIRC), Czech Technical University in Prague
10. Diamant
11. EA Hotel Juliš
12. Former Electrical Enterprises – Bubenská 1
13. Former Sculpture Atelier of Halman Brothers – creative agency Loosers
14. Former Washhouse – Zbraslav Clubhouse
15. Gráf Hotel – I. P. Pavlova 5
16. Komořany Chateau, Central Forecasting Office and Administration Building of the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute
17. Prague 12 Town Hall
18. Secondary School for Girls – Vodičkova Elementary School
19. Sokol Gymnasium in Libeň
20. State Reformed Realgymnasium – Higher Professional School of Pedagogy and Social Sciences, Secondary Technical School and Secondary General School
21. Švanda Theater in Smíchov
22. The Fizz Prague
23. Thun Palace – embassy and residence of the ambassador of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
24. UMPRUM Technology Center in Mikulandská Street
25. Vlašská Infirmary – seat of the Italian Institute of Culture
26. Zbraslav Bell Foundry – Museum of the Manoušek Bell Foundry
Full List of Buildings of Open House Prague 2022 (May 21–22, 2022)
Administration
Brumlovka – Building B
Brumlovka – Delta
Brumlovka – Filadelfie
ČSOB Campus – NHQ building
ČSOB Campus – SHQ building
Former Electrical Enterprises – Bubenská 1
General Pension Institute – Radost House
Municipal House in Ďáblice
NN IT Hub
Prague 12 Town Hall
Quadrio
Štenc House – main office of Opero business club
Vyšehrad National Cultural Monument – administrative office
Art and Culture
Disk Theater (part of the Academy of Performing Arts – DAMU)
Former Sculpture Atelier of Halman Brothers – creative agency Loosers
Former Washhouse – Zbraslav Clubhouse
Metro Palace – Image Theater
Na Zábradlí Theater
National House in Karlín – studios of Radio DAB Praha and Czech Radio Region
Palace of Culture – Congress Center Prague
Sculpture Atelier of Jan Lauda – Olgoj Chorchoj studio
Šaloun Villa – atelier of the Academy of Fine Arts and seat of HOST organization
Švanda Theater in Smíchov
Trade Fair Palace – National Gallery Prague and Studio Hrdinů Theater
Vlna Community Center in Ďáblice
Cemeteries
Ďáblice Cemetery
Evangelical Cemetery in Strašnice
Olšany Cemetery
Education and Research
Czech Institute of Informatics, Robotics and Cybernetics (CIIRC), Czech Technical University in Prague
Czech National Library of Technology
Czech Polytechnic Institute – Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague
Ďáblice Observatory
Faculty Elementary School in Ďáblice
Faculty of Civil Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague
Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague
House of Agricultural Education
Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry AS CR – historical and new building
Institute of Philosophy, Institute of Sociology, Institute of Art History of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic
Klar Institute of the Blind – seat of the Czech Geological Survey
Komořany Chateau, Central Forecasting Office and Administration Building of the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute
National Museum of Agriculture
Project Studios Association / CAMP
Secondary School for Girls – Vodičkova Elementary School
State Reformed Realgymnasium – Higher Professional School of Pedagogy and Social Sciences, Secondary Technical School and Secondary General School
UMPRUM Technology Center in Mikulandská Street
Historical Palaces and Monuments
Adria Palace
Cibulka Homestead
City Mayor’s Residency
Clubhouse of the Autoclub of the Czech Republic
Czernin Palace – seat of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic
Desfours Palace
Ericsson Palace
Forum
House of the Firemen’s Association of Bohemia – Firemen’s House
Libeň Chateau
Metro Palace
Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic
Nusle Town Hall
Thun Palace – embassy and residence of the ambassador of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Vlašská Infirmary – seat of the Italian Institute of Culture
Hotels and Accommodation
EA Hotel Juliš
Gráf Hotel – I. P. Pavlova 5
Hotel International Praha
Mama Shelter Prague
The Fizz Prague
Zeitraum Student Housing
Housing Through Time
Diamant
Franz by Zeitraum
Grab Villa
Kramář Villa
Laichter House
Trmal Villa
Villa Lanna
Winternitz Villa
Railways
Masaryk Railway Station
Praha-Bubny Railway Station
Wilson Station, Prague Main Railway Station
Religious Buildings
Church of St. Adalbert
Church of St. Anne – Prague Crossroads
Church of the Hus Congregation in Vinohrady
Church of the Hus Congregation in Vršovice
Church of the Hus Congregation in Zbraslav
Church of the Most Sacred Heart of Our Lord
New Synagogue in Libeň
Specialties
Fire Station Prague-Ďáblice
New Krenovka
Prague Exhibition Grounds
Vyšehrad Historical Steamship
Zbraslav Bell Foundry – Museum of the Manoušek Bell Foundry
Sports and Body Care
City Spa in Žižkov – House of Dance
Great Strahov Stadium
Sokol Gymnasium in Karlín
Sokol Gymnasium in Libeň
Sokol Gymnasium in Nové Město – seat of T. J. Sokol Pražský
Třebešín Velodrome
Technical and Industrial Buildings
Boiler House of the General University Hospital in Prague
Letná Water Tower
Pragovka Art District
Štvanice Power Station
Vršovice Waterworks in Michle
Trade
ARA Palace – main office of HubHub coworking
