Jan Melichar

Biography
Jan Melichar is an architect from Brno, a member of the Czech Chamber of Architects, living and working in Brno. After graduating from a gymnasium in Olomouc, he was admitted to the Faculty of Architecture and Civil Engineering of the Brno University of Technology in 1953. He completed his studies under the guidance of professors B. Fuchs, B. Rozehnal, and A. Kurial, passing the state final examination with graduation in 1959. In the same year, he joined Potravinoprojekt Brno, and in June 1960, he transitioned to the newly established State Project Institute of Trade (SPÚO) in Brno, which dealt with the design of buildings for tourism (hotels, hostels, catering) and for commerce (department stores and supermarkets) as well as logistics centers (warehouses). As a junior architect, he worked under the leadership of architects J. Brichta, J. Hlavsa, Z. Řihák, and J. Sirotek. He progressed through all work functions up to the head of the architectural and construction group and the chief project engineer. This company was dissolved in 1992.
In addition to his work for his employer, he developed projects for the Brno Trade Fairs and Exhibitions (BVV) for foreign and domestic exhibition stands and, through the agency DÍLO, projects for renovations and interiors.
In 1990, he founded his own design studio AID Kontakt based in Brno. Besides project work, he occasionally served as an opponent during the state final examinations at the Faculty of Architecture of the Brno University of Technology and was an external lecturer at the Faculty of Architecture of Czech Technical University in Prague for five semesters. For UNISTAV, a.s. Brno, he briefly served as the construction coordinator for the IKEA shopping center in Brno and for Hebel, s.r.o. as a technical advisor in dealings with construction suppliers. During this period, he also began collaborating with the design organization VPÚ DECO Brno, for which he prepared studies, initial documentation, and conducted consultation activities for implementation projects and their realization.
He is a member of the Association of Architects, where he has held the position of vice-chairman, later chairman, and chairman of the Supervisory Board of the association during various electoral terms. In 2018, he received the Jože Plečnik Award for his merits in Czech architecture.