Page 35 - AIT0724_E-Paper

an international presence and works on a wide range of projects, master plans and
individual buildings. The various aspects of architecture and urban planning include
residential, commercial, educational, and research and development projects. In
Prague, I was the only person in the office who didn‘t speak Czech. This often made
it difficult for me to keep track of a project. My colleagues at the time went to great
lengths to translate the important aspects of a dialogue. But I would certainly have
learned more if I had known the language. In my time, knowledge of Autocad and
Sketchup was very helpful, some worked with ArchiCad. In addition, the skills in
modeling were also very valuable.

r Which tasks and projects were you involved in?
I had the opportunity to work on three projects – The Lahofer residential building in
Znojmo, the railway station in Roudnice nad Labem and the Nusle brewery. In the
case of the railway station, I mainly worked on the ground plans and the design.
Unfortunately, unlike many others, the Roudnice nad Labem project did not win the
competition. However, I found the idea of the train station very successful. The station
hall is oriented towards the Ríp hill and takes its shape. Ríp is an important place in
Czech mythology and history. According to legend, the ancestor of the Czechs (praotec Foto: Lukas Pelech
Cech) climbed this mountain in ancient times, looked at the surrounding landscape
and decided to settle there with his tribe of Slavs. Apart from this I got other incredible Gallery of furniture bei Brünn (2016): Fassade und ... • Gallery of furniture in Prague: Facade and ...
impressions of the Czech Republic during my trips to the construction sites. The Nusle
brewery project was completed in May. Many of the office‘s projects, such as the one
in Znojmo, will be under construction in the future.

r As a new student in a foreign country and office and you don’t speak the lan-
guage, integration is all the more important. What contributed to team building?
I particularly enjoyed the fact that we often spent our lunch breaks together in nearby
restaurants or that colleagues brought back a speciality to try from their holidays.
Other highlights were the mulled wine tour for team building in Prague, as well as the
trip to Brno for the Christmas party and the associated guided tour of an architecture
exhibition. Brno is also known for Mies van der Rohe‘s Villa Tugendhat, which is a
UNESCO World Heritage Site.

r Prague is known for its unique architectural diversity, a mix of Art Nouveau,
Cubism and Functionalism. What interesting buildings, squares and places did
you discover for yourself in the Czech metropolis?
This question is not easy to answer because I fell in love with some of Prague’s special
features. For focussing on my studies, I often went to the historical library of the
Academy of Sciences, where I was able to register my foreign university card. Located Foto: Lukas Pelech
opposite is Café Nona, where you can enjoy the neo-Renaissance atmosphere of the
National Theatre. Café Kollektor in the National Gallery also exudes an impressive ... durch Vorhänge zonierbarer Innenraum • ... interior space, zoned by curtains
Brutalist atmosphere. I highly recommend a guided tour of Villa Müller by Adolf
Loos! In terms of urban planning, I also find the use of basement floors in Prague Wohnprojekt Nusle Brauerei, Prag: im Mai fertiggestellt • Housing project Nusle Brewerie, Prague: completed in May
very successful. In most other big cities, these are often only used for storage or
simply left empty. In Prague, however, a large part of public life takes place there.
Restaurants, bars, shops and music venues have settled in the basement spaces. The
architectural scene is also very diverse. You can book guided tours of some buildings,
and frequently, there are architectural exhibitions in public spaces. Unfortunately, the
exhibition information is usually only provided in Czech.

r Prague is said to offer a very high quality of life. Can you confirm that? And
what advice would you give for students who also want to go there?
Yes, Prague is a very livable city. If I could speak the language, it would definitely be
my favorite of all the cities I‘ve visited. When you visit, I would recommend getting
out of the city center and exploring the other neighborhoods. The charm of the old
buildings provides an inspiring environment for an architect to work in. I enjoyed the
many green spaces and hills that always offer breathtaking views. The Metronome,
Stromovka Park and Vysehrad are highly recommended for a visit to the capital. The
cost of living is lower than in Germany, but the wages are also lower in Prague than in
Germany. For my internship I was able to move into my friend‘s flat for three months.
This made finding somewhere to live very easy. I would also recommend Facebook as Foto: Alex Shoots Buildings
another option for finding accommodation in Prague, as it is the most used platform
for finding shared flats.

AIT 7/8.2024 • 035