Exhibition and Launch of the Czech Modern Architecture publication at the European Parliament

A ceremonial launch of Professor Vladimír Šlapeta’s publication Czech Modern Architecture took place at the European Parliament, accompanied by the opening of the exhibition of the same name. The event was held under the patronage of Member of the European Parliament Klára Dostálová, Chair of the Committee on Regional Development (REGI), in cooperation with the international festival of architecture and urbanism Architecture Week Prague.

The official program was opened by Klára Dostálová, who welcomed guests to the European Parliament and, in her opening remarks, emphasized the strength and quality of Czech architecture in the European context. She was followed by Thomas Vonier, former President of the International Union of Architects (UIA), who praised the enduring significance of Czech modern architecture across generations.

Jakub Stárek, Mayor of Prague 6, then spoke on behalf of Prague’s Mayor Bohuslav Svoboda. He greeted the audience in the name of the capital city and highlighted the exhibition of models from the functionalist Baba housing estate—a central feature of the show. All 33 models of homes from this iconic Prague colony were presented.

The final remarks were delivered by Professor Vladimír Šlapeta, the book’s editor-in-chief, who outlined the process of creating the publication and the extensive collaboration involved with dozens of institutions, museums, and galleries across the Czech Republic. He expressed his gratitude to all colleagues and collaborators, especially Daniel Ivan, whose contribution to the project was particularly significant.

The event concluded with a speech by the director of Architecture Week Prague publishing house, who presented a copy of the book to Professor Šlapeta. In a symbolic gesture, Professor Šlapeta then handed the volume over to MEP Klára Dostálová, formally concluding the ceremonial book launch.

We would like to thank the City of Prague, the South Bohemian Region, the South Moravian Region, the Karlovy Vary Region, the Vysočina Region, the Hradec Králové Region, the Liberec Region, the Olomouc Region, the Pardubice Region, the Plzeň Region, the Central Bohemian Region, the Ústí nad Labem Region, the Zlín Region and the East Moravia Tourism Authority for their support and patronage of the project. We also thank KKCG Real Estate for their kind support of this publication.

Brussels, 24 June 2025
Editor: Lada Šretrová