The Vize 97 Foundation Award was received this year by architect Eva Jiřičná

Prague – Czech architect Eva Jiřičná has received the Dagmar and Václav Havel Foundation Vize 97 Award for transforming architecture into a dialogue between technology, aesthetics, and humanity. Today in Prague’s Crossroad, she accepted the award from Dagmar Havlová. The ceremony traditionally took place on the birthday of playwright and former Czech president Václav Havel. The laureate will receive a diploma and an artifact in the form of the staff of Saint Wenceslas by Jiří Plieštik. The event also included a panel discussion with the laureate and other participants.

"Eva Jiřičná designs buildings that not only stand but also speak – about light, space, and humanity," stated Havlová, who closely collaborated with the architect on the renovation of the deconsecrated Church of St. Anne, now known as the Prague Crossroad.

Eighty-six-year-old Eva Jiřičná is an internationally recognized Czech architect and designer. She is especially known for her approach to working with glass, steel, and light. She studied architecture at the Czech Technical University and the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague. In 1968, she went on an internship in London, from which Czechoslovak authorities prevented her return after the August occupation.

In London, she collaborated with architects such as Richard Rogers. She gained fame for her interior designs of boutiques, galleries, and public spaces in London and New York. In 1999, she founded the Prague studio AI Design with Petr Vágner and contributed to the modernization of Czech architecture.

In the British architectural community, her style is often referred to as elegant engineering. Architect Norman Foster compares her work to an architectural sonata that is precise but full of emotion.

She is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Order of the British Empire (CBE), the Jane Drew Prize for contributions to women in architecture, and the Order of the White Lion. Since 1996, she has been a professor. She served as the head of the architecture studio at the AA School of Fine Arts in Prague and is a member of the Royal Academy of Arts in London.

The Dagmar and Václav Havel Foundation Vize 97 has been awarding the prize since 1999. Last year, it was bestowed upon philosopher and art theory specialist Miroslav Petříček, who focuses on contemporary French philosophy and the relationships between philosophy and art. The award is intended for thinkers whose work transcends the traditional boundaries of scientific knowledge, contributes to understanding science as an integral part of general culture, and addresses fundamental questions of knowledge, being, and human existence in unconventional ways.

The Dagmar and Václav Havel Foundation VIZE 97 is a non-profit organization. It mainly operates in the fields of social, healthcare, educational, and cultural initiatives.