Marek Štěpán: Sanctuaries and Living Rooms - Exhibition at MAPPA

The exhibition THE HOLY SILENCE AND LIVING SPACE presents the architectural creation of Marek Štěpán as a holistic conceptual world, where the boundaries between spiritual and civil space blur. It is not just a showcase of buildings but a glimpse into the way the author thinks about space, light, material, and humanity.
The chilling ruins of the Church of St. Catherine in Ostrava-Hrabová became an inspiration for his creative approach. It is here, in the emptiness defined only by the old pavement and the scattered Ostrava light, that the architect defined three pillars that continue to intertwine with his work to this day – the body as a haptic measure of humanity, light as a medium breathing life into space, and silence as a purity that allows the perception of inner order.
The exhibition showcases various types of buildings from apartment houses to churches and chapels. They are united by the effort for quality living space, bringing strength, beauty, and transcendence. The centerpiece of the exhibition is a model of the apartment complex Malé Lauby, which introduces a new order and quality of everyday living into the historical center of Ostrava. The project represents the author’s ability to transfer depth and concentration, typical of his sacred works, into the environment of a modern urban block and community life.
Part of the exhibition includes large-format photographs processed in the form of spatial collages inspired by the works of Jiří Kolář. Each project is also accompanied by a personal note from Marek Štěpán, allowing visitors to peek into the intimate process of creating individual designs and to understand architecture as a tool that helps human existence fulfill its essence through an order that transcends us.