Lubo Stacho - Marian Zervan

Vystava Sucasnej slovenskej architektury v Londyne.

V podvecer 5. oktobra tohto roku bola na Velvyslanectve Slovenskej Republiky v Londyne otvorena vystava, prezentujuca Sucastnu slovensku architekturu rokov 1989-2009.

Vystavene prace su zachytene objektivom profesora a vasniveho fotografa architektury, pana Luba Stacha, zakladatela katedry fotografie na Vysokej Skole Vytvarnych Umeni v Bratislave. Stacho sa venuje systematickemu dokumentovaniu vyvoja slovenskej architektury poslednych 30 rokov. V uzkovom vybere vystavenych prac je zachytena tvorba 55 architektov, timov, ktorych stavby boli zrealizovane v obdobi rokov 1989-2009. Vystava samostatnej slovenskej architektury sa touto akciou prezentuje po prvy krat vo Velkej Britanii pri prilezitosti 20. vyrocia spolocenskych zmien roku 1989.

Cielom podujatia je prezentovat dosiahnute vysledky a uroven sucastnej architektury na Slovensku, ako aj vytvorit priestor pre diskusiu medzi verejnostou. 
Vystava bola koncepcne zostavene teoretikom slovenskej architektury, akademikom, panom Marianom Zervanom a bude spristupnena pocas jej hostovania v Londyne do 31.oktobra 2009.

Rasto Udzan 
Photo © Lubo Stacho

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Exhibition is organised under auspices of the Ambassador of the Slovak Republic in United Kingdom H.E. Mr Juraj Zervan, Czecho-Slovak Architect Ms Eva Jiřičná and the President of the Slovak Architects Association Mr Ján Bahna.

Exhibition will be open to the public during opening hours of the Slovak Embassy in London (Monday-Thursday from 0900-1200 and 1300-1530. Friday mornings only) until the end of October 2009. Larger groups are advised to arrange an appointment with the Embassy.

Works by following architects

Ján Bahna, Ľubomír Boháč, Igor Bolčo, Benjamín Brádňanský, Róbert Burger, Kalin Cakov,  Peter Čavara, Miloslav Dulík, Peter Sticzay-Gromski, Vít Halada, Beata Hermannová, Juraj Hermann, Katarína Henselová-Hrbáňová, Boris Hrbáň, Branislav Ivan, Radoslav Ivan, Karol Kállay, Juraj Kalus, Juraj Kiaba, Andrea Klimková, Juraj Koban, Marek Kolčák, Ivan Kreva, Peter Kručay, Martin Kusý, Martin Kvasnica, Emil Makara, Ivan Matušík, Dalibor Michalák, Fedor Minárik, Peter Moravčík, Štefan Pacák, Pavol Paňák, Juraj Polyák, Pavol Pokorný, Daniel Priehoda, Zuzana Rašlová, Ľubomír Sádecký, Matej Siebert, Branislav Somora, Juraj Sumbal, Štefan Svetko, Jaroslav Šmondrk, Marian Šovčík, Peter Štassel, Juraj Šujan, Roman Talaš,  Slavomír Valigurský, Pavlína Vlačihová, Peter Vodrážka, Ľubomír Závodný, Peter Žalman, Pavel Záriš, Márius Žitňanský

Contemporary Slovak Architecture

/trough Ľubo Stacho´s looking-glass/

After 1989, the Slovak architecture went trough a difficult and multifaceted process of self-recovery. After dissolution of a state controlled and financed project institutes, private studios, ateliers start to emerge. These platforms enabled to reconstitute dignity of an independent occupation of architect, which in the past was often substituted by a project manager. Rebirth of a livery status of an architect, embedded in newly established Chamber of Architects, is one of the sources for differentiation of creative attitudes and opinions. Second such a source of variety is without any doubt multiple choice in education. Until 1989 there were only two forms of education for future architects: Technical Universities and Academies of Fine Arts. However, both were under state /political control. Luckily, after 1989, several schools of architecture were established in big cities of Slovakia: in Bratislava, Koڑice and partially in Nitra. All had autonomous accredited programmes guaranteed by distinguished personalities of Slovak architecture. Third factor, which helped better differentiation, was of course freedom of movement, cross-border contacts and entry of the Slovak architecture to European and world scene. Before 1989, state simply dictated official East-block style, called socialist realism. Only occasionally architects were able or indeed capable to refuse this line, namely in famous 60s. It was only after 1989 that annual exhibitions, so called „Salons des architects“, opened their doors to a larger number of designers with different personalised styles, which were not only allowed in by returning to the pre-war architecture or clear connections with guiding personalities at schools, but to those who were fuelled by personal experience working alongside globally renowned architects. The “Salons” also hosted some of the big names of architecture  in Slovakia. And of course, galleries, research institutes and specialised magazines played vital role in this process of diversification. Since 1989, many monographic books as well as reviews of the Slovak and world architecture of 20thcentury were published and many individual and group exhibitions, that even toured Europe, compiled. These were particularly important for critique, open deliberations and rethinking of initiatives by various authors. Last, but certainly not least, public consultations and their inputs had their share of impact on architecture´s further direction. By this we do not mean only competitions or struggles to win a big project or different views between state, private sector and college of architects. Inevitably, also respect and evaluation of environmental impacts and participation of wide public are becoming more and more usual features. Despite certain level of public conservatism on one side and visionary ideas on the other, one still cannot underestimate social and political influence on architecture.

All the above mentioned powers contributed to the vast variety of the Slovak architectural scene and it is very hard to describe it trough superficial or supra-individual style characteristics. Attempts to find in contemporary Slovak architecture basic contradictions between „late modernists“, „post modernists“ or „new modernists, or even between „new functionalists“ and „organics“ have no value in describing status of current Slovak architecture.

Current or contemporary Slovak Architecture has multiple layers of values and generations. anonymous a commercial developments we can see also architectural mediocrity of the main stream and kitsch. In spite of plethora of annual prizes and awards, there are only few exceptional architectural creations,.

Even today, so called third generation of Slovak architects from 20th century is prolific. Among these are names such Ivan Matušík and Štefan Svetko. Although they do not create big projects any more, their family and semi-detached houses and estates are still sources of inspiration. Key projects after 1989 were gradually taken over by the fourth generation of architects, represented by huge names of Ján Bahna, Martin Kusý younger, Pavel Paňák but also Branislav Somora or Fedor Minárik. Their names are attached to new  dominant skyscrapers, sacral architecture and important renovations. Part of the fifth generation of Slovak architects started in studios of these personalities. However, they are becoming independent. Within this group we can identify the biggest typological variety and at the same time revaluation of architectural movement mainly in the Netherlands. Most of them, born around 1966, had an ambition to impose new generation platform, but their efforts were diluted into number of unrelated projects: from family houses, multi-functional complexes, monuments to sports centres and shopping malls. What is interesting, this generation enforces bigger share of public buildings in our lives. Between fourth and fifth generation of architects we can distinguish names such as Ľubomír Závodný, Juraj Polyak, Juraj Koban, Martin Kvasnica, Márius Žitňanský and Imro Vaško. Fifth generation is than definitely connected with Juraja Šujan, Peter Moravčík a above all Boris Hrbáň a Andrea Klimková. Sixth generation of architects is slowly establishing itself. It started to shine in several big exhibitions and competitions. This last generation can be characterised by effort to find a dialogue with big investors, which in many cases ends up in gestures of compromises, but at the same time it shows up in smaller projects or in intervention during reconstructions and extensions. Given limits, however, test their creative potential. In this group of architects we can find Kalin Cakov, Emil Makara or Benjamín Brádňanský and Vít Halada.

World of Slovak architecture is not just space of creations, projects, proposals or exhibitions, presentations and discussions, associations, schools and books. It is also unrepeatable and definite photographic record of this world.

Visitor of this exhibition is confronted on one hand with a „reduced“ selection of architecture, without models, drawings and visual impressions. This exhibition does not present processes of architectural thinking in making, but its end product. It does not record events, but creations. This „reduction“ is on the other hand a unique enrichment to predictable life. Its spectator has an opportunity to live through the „record“ of contemporary Slovak architecture of the second half of 20th century and the first decade of new millennium through unmistakable looking-glass and atmosphere created by one of the best photographers of the Slovak architecture  Ľubomír Stacho. This original creator, who divides his production between authoritative conceptual photography and capturing architecture, offers irreplaceable „entrée into contemporary Slovak architecture to everybody, who sincerely wish to indulge into it.

Bratislava September 2009                                                                            Marián Zervan