The Stiassni Villa will showcase architecture inspired by and commissioned by Václav Havel
Václav Havel would have celebrated his 90th birthday this year, and to mark the occasion, the National Heritage Institute has decided to highlight his lesser-known role—not as a writer and playwright, dissident, or president, but as a knowledgeable builder and collaborator with renowned architects such as Eva Jiřičná, Bořek Šípek, Josef Pleskot, and Petr Franta. The exhibition “Havel’s Architecture” will be on view at the Stiassni Villa in Brno starting Friday, September 18.
Václav Havel came from a family of construction entrepreneurs—his grandfather built the Lucerna Palace, and his father and uncle were involved in the construction of the Barrandov residential district and the famous Barrandov Terraces. Václav Havel chose a different career path, which led him, after 1989, to the office of Czechoslovak—and later Czech—president. In terms of architecture, what resonates most with the public is his remark comparing prefabricated apartment buildings to “rabbit hutches” from a speech on February 25, 1990, which—somewhat unfairly—made prefabricated housing one of the symbols of the era of oppression.
As a builder, V. Havel focused primarily on the restoration of Prague Castle, where, in the 1990s, construction projects stemming from TGM’s collaboration with Slovenian architect Jože Plečnik and his student Otto Rothmayer were resumed. He collaborated with world-renowned artists—designer Bořek Šípek (the president’s office) and architects Eva Jiřičná (the Orangery) and Josef Pleskot (the Lion’s Courtyard and the Deer Moat). Havel’s intention was to “decommunize” the Castle and open it to the public—not only by physically removing barriers but also through a series of high-profile cultural events (exhibitions, concerts, lectures, etc.)—which he succeeded in doing to an extent that has yet to be surpassed.
The texts for the exhibition panels were prepared by curator Vlasta Loutocká in collaboration with Foibos Books, the Ivan M. Havel Archive, the Václav Havel Library, and the Dagmar and Václav Havel Foundation Vize 97. The panels and large-format photographs are complemented by sculptures by Brno architect, sculptor, and educator Zdeněk Makovský. “We were also able to secure on loan for the exhibition an attractive light model of an unrealized proposal for an art installation at Prague Airport titled ‘Around the World with Václav Havel’ from 2019, designed by architect Petr Franta,” noted producer Petra Svobodová.
“In addition to architectural achievements directly linked to Václav Havel, the exhibition also traces the building projects of his ancestors, from the Lucerna Palace to the Barrandov Terraces, including a family tree supplemented by unique family photographs from the archive of Ivan M. Havel,” says exhibition curator Vlasta Loutocká.
The exhibition will be on view in the exhibition and lecture building on the grounds of Villa Stiassni through the end of December 2026 (open Mondays, Fridays, and on weekends).
