Igor Kovačevič on Central European Architecture, Informal Settlements, and Social Responsibility
Igor Kovačevič, an architect and one of the founders of the Center for Central European Architecture (CCEA), which was established around 2000, characterizes Central Europe through its collective historical narratives, referencing architectural styles from the Austria-Hungary period. He criticizes the Czech development post-1989 for mirroring mistakes made in the West, resulting in environmental degradation and social division. Kovačevič points to the informal architecture in the Balkans, where 1.5 million homes were constructed without official approval, illustrating a form of negotiated urban planning. He emphasizes the importance of architects engaging with the community and rejecting projects lacking social responsibility, as demonstrated in his 2002 initiative, Shared Awareness. This interview by Jana Beránková, published on February 23, 2014, also touches on the controversial demolition of Prague's Hotel Praha amidst public outcry.
Key facts
- Igor Kovačevič is an architect and founding member of the Center for Central European Architecture (CCEA).
- The CCEA was established around 2000 to research and promote contemporary architecture in Central Europe.
- Kovačevič defines Central Europe through historical experiences, including Austria-Hungary's architectural identity and post-communist transformation.
- Informal architecture in the Balkans includes 1.5 million houses built without legal permission, exhibiting negotiated social contracts.
- Kovačevič critiqued post-1989 Czech development for repeating Western errors like shopping malls and highways.
- In 2002, Kovačevič's project Shared Awareness involved demolishing a suburban house near Brno to reclaim land.
- He views neoliberal architecture as colonial, with shopping malls following strict developer manuals.
- The interview was published on February 23, 2014, by Jana Beránková on ARTMargins Online.
Entities
Artists
- Igor Kovačevič
- Jana Beránková
- Yvette Vašourková
- Václav Belohradský
- Franz Kafka
- Robert Musil
- Hermann Broch
- Mies van der Rohe
- Lacaton
- Vassal
- Carson Chan
- Pier Vittorio Aureli
- Eyal Weizman
- Karel Prager
- Jaroslav Paroubek
- Radko Černý
- Arnošt Navrátil
- Jan Sedláček
- Petr Kellner
- Karel Teige
Institutions
- Center for Central European Architecture (CCEA)
- MOBA
- Czech Technical University in Prague
- École Normale Supérieure
- École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales
- A2
- 032c magazine
- ARTMargins Online
Locations
- Prague
- Czech Republic
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Austria-Hungary
- Poland
- Slovakia
- Hungary
- Slovenia
- Austria
- Berlin
- Zagreb
- Yugoslavia
- Croatia
- Belgrade
- Serbia
- Sarajevo
- Tuzla
- Brno
- Lesná
- Petřiny
- Invalidovna
- Montpellier
- France
- Gaza Strip
- Zlín
- Central Europe
Sources
- ARTMargins —
- ARTMargins —