This year green architecture and urbanism are the main topics of the festival. Exhibitions, lectures, seminars, discussions, workshops and open days will introduce an interesting mix of architects from almost twenty countries.
The exhibition Prague – Friendly City organised in cooperation with the Prague City Development Authority will present not only the new City development plan, but also projects under way or completed.
Thanks to the 9 x 9 m ortophoto occupying the floor of the exhibition area, visitors can easily localate the exhibited projects including new buildings, renovated historical objects, transport projects (City ring road, traffic interchanges, tram routes, the metro, ferries), recreational and leisure time projects (u Čeňků Park, recreational lake zone in Radotín), flood barriers, and the revitalization of Botič.
The extension of the metro line A aims to improve the transport service quality of the northwest part of Prague resulting in the reduction of local bus services. At the same time, it will be possible to move Dejvice metro station to a more suitable location, closer to the border of the City.
Additionally, the exhibition will present an interesting project of the traffic interchange Malovanka, which is planned to be developed close to the north part of Strahov tunnel, and will connect two sections of the City ring road with the local road network and the future road, the so called Břevnovska radiála.
In 2004, the Indonesian jungle project was brought to completion in Prague Zoo. It was designed within a glasshouse where tropical vegetation and exotic animals create a marvellous integrated eco-system that gives visitors a fuller and more vivid experience of exotic environments. Zoo Prague is also preparing an exhibition presenting two other pavilions – the elephant pavilion and the hippo and antelope pavilion.
October 2010 will see the launch of the trial operation of the swimming areal Šutka in Prague 8-Troja. The project originated in 1987 and it is a strident statement of postmodern architecture. Apart from the indoor pool, the building offers all possible facilities, such as a restaurant with 80 seat capacity, a cloakroom, a swimming pool for children lectures, saunas, a massage room, a gym. The areal was designed to accommodate up to 4000 visitors.
City Prague is currently implementing a big flood protection project, with two complicated projects that should regulate the flow of the Vltava River. The most important part is the closure of the Čertovka gate with the intricate system of flood protection made from prefab and clay-cement underground walls.
The other project involves Libeň ports with constructions made of reinforced concrete, the gate that closes Rokytka mouth, and the gate closing the entrance to Libeň port. There are four drainage chambers in Libeň section and waterproof sewage shafts.
The exhibition also features nursery and primary schools buildings, firehouses, community care service houses in Dubeč, Zbraslav and Dolní Počernice, the project for renovation of the Royal Court – Šlechta Restaurant, which is a listed building. Other than that, you will be able to get acquainted with the new project by Prague Health Rescue Service headquarters on the north Vltava embankment.
Following last year’s successful cooperation with Prague Information Service, the organisers are once again preparing architecture educational walks, this year focusing on Prague gardens. One exception is the night Prague walk accompanied by a thoroughly illuminating lecture on architectural lighting.
The Architecture Week festival will be accompanied by a full colour catalogue, a map and a printed festival guide.
A detailed programme of individual festival events can be found at www.architectureweek.cz.