Atrium of the National Technical Library 7. 11. - 20. 12. 2013
The exhibition is held under the auspices of the mayor of the Prague 6 district, Marie Kousalíková, with archiweb.cz as the media partner.
On the Edge of the Universe
The first multimedia exhibition of projects by space architect David Nixon
Architecture in space and space architecture on Earth are the main themes of a unique exhibition of 42 projects that summarize the life work of British architect David Nixon, a pioneer in the field of space architecture and long-time colleague of Jan Kaplický, with whom he co-founded the studio FutureSystems. Among the projects, you will find, for example, a prototype dining area for the International Space Station, a concept for a lunar base from 1985, and a lunar wall. The exhibition attracts visitors not only with its attractive theme but also with its multimedia presentation format, inflatable habitat, and an online interview with a renowned astronaut. You can enjoy the exhibition at the National Technical Library until mid-December, and it's free of charge.
Space Architecture
On Earth, we have everything we need to survive. For now. What if a global natural disaster occurs, leaving us without food, air, or shelter? We would find ourselves in an extreme environment. It is within this context that space architects design their structures.
One of the co-founders of space architecture, who has been specializing in this field since 1985, is British architect David Nixon, known in our country mainly as a long-time collaborator of Jan Kaplický, with whom he co-founded the studio Future Systems in 1979. For several decades, he has been engaged in designing architecture for space and extreme conditions, working on concepts for the American orbital laboratory Skylab and the International Space Station (ISS), designing architecture suitable for the environments of Mars and the Moon, and participating in the development of robotic systems, planning spaceports, and terrestrial infrastructure for manned flights. He currently runs Astrocourier Ltd., which focuses on the miniaturization of space products and services, and seeks to inspire young scientists through its projects.
The original goal of the field of space architecture was to design architecture in extreme environments where human living quarters must often be largely independent of the resources provided by the infrastructure of a typical civilized environment. This allows for a much-needed perspective on the habitable environment of humans, bringing awareness and rediscovery of fundamental issues in architecture that today may be hidden beneath the surface of short-term economic planning, style, or aesthetics.
“If architecture as a discipline and profession is to evolve, it must expand into new areas. Architects today cannot assume that they can rely solely on the knowledge and application of terrestrial architecture. Architects must explore new territories, and space is one of them,” David Nixon explains the intent of space architecture.
The exhibition will take place from November 7, 2013, at the National Technical Library in Prague. The opening ceremony will be attended by David Nixon himself, who will also give two lectures on the topic of space architecture, first at 1:00 PM at the Faculty of Architecture of the Czech Technical University and then at 4:00 PM at the National Technical Library.
More information, including photographs, can be found on the website www.nahranicivesmiru.cz (the website will launch on October 10) and on the page on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/NaHraniciVesmiru
Exhibition organizers: Lucie Klabanová, faama cz s. r. o., Ondřej Doule, Space Innovations
Exhibition partners: FA ČVUT, NTK, Sobriety, Bioport, faama cz, Space Innovations, Kaplicky Centre Foundation, archiweb.cz, Municipality of Prague 6
Accompanying program: Lecture by David Nixon for architecture students – November 7, 2013, at 1:00 PM at FA ČVUT, Lecture by David Nixon for the general public – November 7, 2013, at 4:00 PM at NTK, Balling Hall, free entry
Address: National Technical Library, Technická 6 / 2710, 160 80 Prague 6 – Dejvice
 |
| Expandable construction platform for NASA, David Nixon, Jan Kaplický, 1984 |
On Earth, we have everything we need to survive. For now. What if a global natural disaster occurs, leaving us without food, air, or shelter? We would find ourselves in an extreme environment. It is within this context that space architects design their structures.
One of the co-founders of space architecture, who has been specializing in this field since 1985, is British architect David Nixon, known in our country mainly as a long-time collaborator of Jan Kaplický, with whom he co-founded the studio Future Systems in 1979. For several decades, he has been engaged in designing architecture for space and extreme conditions, working on concepts for the American orbital laboratory Skylab and the International Space Station (ISS), designing architecture suitable for the environments of Mars and the Moon, and participating in the development of robotic systems, planning spaceports, and terrestrial infrastructure for manned flights. He currently runs Astrocourier Ltd., which focuses on the miniaturization of space products and services, and seeks to inspire young scientists through its projects.
The original goal of the field of space architecture was to design architecture in extreme environments where human living quarters must often be largely independent of the resources provided by the infrastructure of a typical civilized environment. This allows for a much-needed perspective on the habitable environment of humans, bringing awareness and rediscovery of fundamental issues in architecture that today may be hidden beneath the surface of short-term economic planning, style, or aesthetics.
“If architecture as a discipline and profession is to evolve, it must expand into new areas. Architects today cannot assume that they can rely solely on the knowledge and application of terrestrial architecture. Architects must explore new territories, and space is one of them,” David Nixon explains the intent of space architecture.
The exhibition will take place from November 7, 2013, at the National Technical Library in Prague. The opening ceremony will be attended by David Nixon himself, who will also give two lectures on the topic of space architecture, first at 1:00 PM at the Faculty of Architecture of the Czech Technical University and then at 4:00 PM at the National Technical Library.
More information, including photographs, can be found on the website www.nahranicivesmiru.cz (the website will launch on October 10) and on the page on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/NaHraniciVesmiru
Exhibition organizers: Lucie Klabanová, faama cz s. r. o., Ondřej Doule, Space Innovations
Exhibition partners: FA ČVUT, NTK, Sobriety, Bioport, faama cz, Space Innovations, Kaplicky Centre Foundation, archiweb.cz, Municipality of Prague 6
Accompanying program: Lecture by David Nixon for architecture students – November 7, 2013, at 1:00 PM at FA ČVUT, Lecture by David Nixon for the general public – November 7, 2013, at 4:00 PM at NTK, Balling Hall, free entry
Address: National Technical Library, Technická 6 / 2710, 160 80 Prague 6 – Dejvice
The English translation is powered by AI tool. Switch to Czech to view the original text source.
0 comments
add comment
