Jan Kaplický baptized three newly published books in Prague

PRAGUE - World-renowned architect Jan Kaplický, who has been active in the UK since the 1960s, today in Prague baptized three books related to his work and the broader context of architecture. The baptism was preceded by a screening of the film Profile, directed by Jakub Wagner, about Kaplický, at the Světozor cinema.
The book Album includes opinions and sources of the architect's inspiration, while the publication Sketches contains the complete collection of Kaplický's sketches from 1942. In the book Czech Inspiration, Kaplický included famous projects by Czech scientists, architects, and artists in collaboration with architect Ivan Margolius. The books were published by Labyrint, Fraktály, and Alba Design Press.
Although Kaplický is now the most famous Czech architect abroad along with Eva Jiřičná, he has not built anything in the Czech Republic. His studio competed for a memorial in Újezd, but was eliminated in the first round. He also submitted a project for stairs to a park in Letná, but officials rejected it. The director of the National Library would like to see Kaplický participate in the planned international competition for the construction of a new library building.
"No Comment," Kaplický replied to ČTK when asked if he would like to participate in the competition. So far, he does not have the library among the buildings constructed by his studio; he was second in the competition for the new Paris library. "But it's a wonderful idea, I hope it works out, it could be world-class," he added. According to him, Prague would need several truly modern buildings. However, the condition for success is an international competition. "If it becomes a Czech affair, then it's bad. This is not against the Czech Republic, but the tension must be at least European, if not global; otherwise it doesn't make sense," he believes.
The architect says he doesn't have much time to follow current Czech architecture. "You have to choose what you follow. I have of course nostalgia, especially for Prague, but alongside Czech architecture, there is Portuguese, Brazilian... It's not true that in the age of the internet, one knows everything; that’s nonsense. The exchange of information has not accelerated, it may have even slowed down," says the sixty-eight-year-old architect.
An immigrant from 1968, he studied at the AA School of Architecture in Prague. He went to Britain, where he collaborated with prominent architects such as Renzo Piano, Richard Rogers, and Norman Foster. In 1978, he founded his own studio Future Systems, known for radical architectural projects.
He has received numerous awards for his buildings - for the journalists' center Lord's at the London cricket stadium, he received the most prestigious British architecture award, the Stirling Prize; the building, along with the Selfridges department store in Birmingham, was included by The Independent among the most significant modern buildings in the world.
"We have finally started working on the Ferrari-Maserati museum in the Italian city of Modena, where Ferrari was born," Kaplický described the current work of the studio. In addition to the renovation of the museum, he is working on a school project and a large private house. "There may be some other competition, maybe in Prague. That's enough for now. However, one has to keep caring, as something may not work out," he said. The core of Future Systems' work is summed up by the words freedom-creativity-people-beauty-elegance-plasticity-sensuality-color-innovation-inspiration.