Hradcany (Prague) Castle Photo by Peter Lizon, FAIA

Once the realm of the great Austro-Hungarian Empire, the heart of Central Europe is enjoying a cultural, economic, and political renaissance after emerging from a century of tumult and turmoil. The AIA Committee on Design conference in Prague will explore design of buildings, sites, and the city in relationship to the political, social, cultural, and economic transitions and the permanence of the historical, climatic, and geographic environment. The architectural heritage of the hundred-spire city of Prague provides the background for Czech Modernism of the 20th century. The conference will focus on the architecture and society of the Interwar period, referred to as the Golden Age of Modernism. To be examined are works of Art Nouveau, Czech Cubism, Functionalism, Socialist Realism, and new developments since the Velvet Revolution and Velvet Divorce. At the crossroads of Europe, the cross-fertilization of ideas between Czechs and other cultures is evident in the arts and architecture of Prague.

Conference Highlights

• Stay in Prague’s Jazz Age Hotel Alcron, just off Wenceslas Square. Tour and discuss the Old Town Square, Hradcany Castle, and the Charles Bridge. Visit and discuss the Art Nouveau Obecni dum (Municipal House), the Cubist Dum u cerne matky bozi (House of the Black Madonna), and the Functionalist Baba Housing Estate. Attend the session on Prague Functionalism in the National Gallery Fair Palace.
  
• Take an all-day tour to Brno to explore and discuss Mies van der Rohe’s Villa Tugendhat and the permanent exhibition pavilions built in the Interwar period.
  
• Meet with award-winning Czech architects, including Ladislav Labus and Josef Pleskot; noted architectural writer Vladimir Slapeta, Hon. FAIA; and renowned Czech/British architect Eva Jiricna.
  
• Extend your exploration of the conference topic through independent pre-and postconference tours of southern Bohemia, Slovakia, Hungary, and Austria. For more information, click here (password: Praha). 

USG

Conference Chair
Peter Lizon, FAIA

Saturday, September 17: Conference Introduction

Opening reception in the Alcron Hotel Salon
5:00–7:00 p.m. 

Welcome and Introduction in the Alcron Crystal Ballroom
Group Dinner
7:00–10:00 p.m. 
20th-Century Prague speakers: Vladimir Slapeta, Hon. FAIA; Rostislav Svacha; Vladimir Stulc; Oleg Haman

Sunday, September 18: Old City Prague

Walking tour: Alcron to Staromestske namesti (Old Town Square)
9:00–11:00 a.m.

Karolinum Hall of the Charles University
11:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Historical Prague speakers: Jiri Kotalik, Vladimir Stulc

Walking Tour Continues: Karolinum to Betlemska kaple
12:30–1:00 p.m.

Lunch
1:00–2:30 p.m. 

Prague Castle, Vladislav Hall Interior, c. 1487-1500 Photo by Peter Lizon, FAIA

Hradcany (Prague) Castle
2:30–6:00 p.m. 
Walking tour of the castle, including work of Joze Plecnik and the Jeleni prikop (Deer Moat), guided by Josef Pleskot

Walk from the Castle over the Karluv most (Charles Bridge) to Staromestske namesti (Old Town Square)
6:00–7:00 p.m. 

Dinner on your own
7:00 p.m.

Monday, September 19: Art Nouveau, Cubism

Walk from the Alcron to the Dum u cerne matky bozi (House at the Black Madonna) Cubist Museum
9:00–10:00 a.m.

Tour of the Cubist Museum
10:00–12:00 noon 
Cubism speakers: Milena Lamarova, Zdenek Lukes

Obecni dum (Municipal House), c. 1905-12, Antonin Balsanek and Osvald Polivka, architects Photo by Peter Lizon, FAIA

Walk from the Cubist Museum to Lunch at the Obecni dum (Municipal House)
12:00 noon–3:00 p.m.
Art Nouveau speakers: Vladimir Slapeta, Hon. FAIA; Jindrich Vybiral

Bus Tour of Cubist Buildings
3:00–6:00 p.m. 

Dinner on your own
6:00 p.m.

Tuesday, September 20: Prague Modern Architecture—Functionalism

Bus to the Narodni galerie (National Gallery)
9:00–9:30 a.m.

Tour of Veletrzni palac (National Gallery Trade Fair Palace)
9:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
Functionalism speakers: Radomira Sedlakova; Ladislav Labus; Petr Urlich; Vladimir Slapeta, Hon. FAIA; Miroslav Masak

Lunch at the National Gallery
1:00–2:00 p.m.

Bus from the National Gallery to the Mueller House
2:00–6.30 p.m. 
Tour of the villa (designed by Adolf Loos) guided by Petr Urlich and simultaneously to the Baba housing
Tour of the Mart Stam House guided by Ladislav Labus

Bus from the Baba Housing to the Alcron Hotel
6:30 p.m.

Dinner on your own

Wednesday, September 21: Brno Functionalist Architecture

Villa Tugendhat in Brno, c. 1928-30, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, architect Photo by Peter Lizon, FAIA

Bus tour from Alcron to the City of Brno
9:00 a.m.
Visit Villa Tugendhat by Mies van der Rohe, the Brno Exhibition Grounds pavilions, and the Spilberk Castle architectural exhibit.
Group lunch is included.

Return to Prague, dinner on your own
7:00 p.m.

Thursday, September 22: Socialist Realism and Recent Developments 

Walk from the Alcron to the Yalta Hotel
9:00–9.30 a.m.

Sorela and Recent
9:30 a.m–12:00 noon 
Speakers: Zdenek Lukes, Pavel Halik, Ladislav Labus, Jan Stempl, Jan Louda, Josef Pleskot, Vlado Milunic, Emil Prikryl, Borek Sipek, Roman Koucky

Lunch at the Yalta Hotel
12:00 noon–1:00 p.m.

Bus tour of Communist Housing and Recent Buildings
1:00–5:00 p.m.

Dinner on your own
5:00 p.m.

Friday, September 23: Plans for the Future

COD Business Meeting in the Alcron Crystal Ballroom
9:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m.

Ideas for the Future and Closing Lunch
11:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.
Speakers: Vladimir Stulc, Jan Louda, Jan Studeny, David Kopecky, Vlado Milunic, Irena Fialova

Conference Adjourns
2:00 p.m.

Please note that this conference is sold out and registration is closed.

Registration Confirmations
Registration confirmations are mailed weekly. If you did not receive a registration confirmation within 10 business days after you registered, please contact AIA Meetings, meetings@aia.org. If you faxed the registration form, please keep the fax transmittal confirmation for your records.

Cancellation Policy
Refunds, less a $50 cancellation fee, will be made for cancellations received in writing by Friday, September 2, 2005. No cancellation refund is available after September 2, 2005. Please fax your cancellation requests to the AIA Registrar at 202-626-7365.

Special Needs
The AIA is committed to making meetings and conferences accessible to all. Please notify us at the time of registration if you have special accessibility needs or specific dietary requirements. Contact Christine M. Klein, cklein@aia.org or 202-626-7453.

Guests
In recognition that many professionals enjoy traveling and sharing experiences with their significant others, the AIA offers a guest rate for its conferences. Guest registration is reserved for spouses or significant others who accompany conference attendees for personal, not professional, reasons. Guests are not eligible to report learning units for professional continuing education. In most cases, guests may attend regular program events, including educational sessions, tours, and meals. Guests may also register for optional events that are ticketed separately. 
 

A block of rooms has been reserved at the Radisson SAS Alcron Hotel, Stepanska 40, 110 00 Praha 1, Czech Republic.

Reservations must be received no later than August 16, 2005, but it is recommended that you make your hotel reservations as soon as possible; the hotel is sold out over the conference dates. You are responsible for making your own reservations. To make your hotel reservation, fill out the hotel booking form located on the conference Web site or call the hotel directly at +420 222 820 222. Be sure to mention that you are attending the AIA Fall COD Conference to receive the group rate of 200€ single/double occupancy plus, rates include VAT at 5% and buffet breakfast. All reservations must be guaranteed with a credit card at the time of making the reservation.

Air
The American Institute of Architects is pleased to offer discounted airline and car rentals for this conference. To make your reservations, log on to www.aia.org/conferences and click on the travel accommodations tab or contact the AIA’s official travel agency, Travel Technology Group, at 800-866-8845 or 312-527-7300 for international callers.

United Airlines
United Airlines offers special rates on roundtrip fares in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. The following discounts are available:
• 5% discount off lowest applicable fares
• 10% discount off unrestricted coach fares
• 5% bonus discount if ticket is purchased at least 30 days prior to travel date.

Dedicated reservationists are available seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. EST at 1-800- 521-4041. Please refer to reference ID No. 552TV. Reservations may also be made directly through TTG or by logging onto the AIA Web site at www.aia.org/conferences.

Car Rental
AVIS Rent A Car
AVIS is pleased to offer special discounts to all AIA meeting attendees. Reservations can be made directly with AVIS at 1-800-331-1600 (refer to Discount Code A991499), by visiting the AIA Web site at www.aia.org/conferences (click on the travel accommodations tab), or by contacting TTG directly.

Airport Transportation
The airport is approximately a 30- to 50-minute taxi ride to the hotel. Please do not hesitate to contact the concierge service for arrangement at concierge.prague@radissonsas.com.

For further transportation information to and from the hotel, please visit www.RadissonSAS.com.

Continuing Education
Participants may earn up to 32 AIA Continuing Education System (CES) learning units (LUs) for attending the entire conference.

Questions
E-mail questions to meetings@aia.org.

Force Majeure
The performance of this Agreement by either party may be affected by force majeure (including, but not limited to, acts of God; acts of war; or other acts of enemies, government regulation, disaster, strikes, floods, civil disorder, curtailment of transportation facilities, or other emergency or event beyond the control of the parties), thus making it inadvisable, unsafe, illegal, or impossible to provide required accommodations and/or meeting facilities, hold the meeting, or travel to the meeting. In event of force majeure, either party to this Agreement may terminate the Agreement upon providing written notice to the other party without penalty or obligation. Such right of termination shall not be unreasonably exercised.

In addition, the AIA reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to cancel this meeting. In that event, the AIA shall refund to you all registration fees that it has received from you for this meeting but shall have no further obligation to you of any type, whether monetary or otherwise. Accordingly, the AIA shall in no event have any liability to you based on claims for indirect, special, or consequential damages of any type whatsoever and shall have no other obligation to you of any type except as expressly stated in the preceding sentence.