The world's most influential architects and tours of Prague’s underground at reSITE 2017
For its sixth edition, reSITE is preparing a 360-degree custom podium to showcase 54 of the world's leading architects; investors; mayors; economists; and chiefs of transportation, water and waste management companies. They will explore infrastructure topics under the banner of the In/visible City.
Participants will experience a once in a lifetime moment when meeting the Japanese Pritzker Prize winner, architecture's highest praise, Kazuyo Sejima of SANAA. Additionally, respected American architect Teddy Cruz and the newly announced Winy Maas will present their latest award-winning work.
Invisible infrastructure is an underlying theme. The general public will be able to explore all secrets of the invisible city, thanks to over one dozen guided tours of underground city infrastructure, and the very first NightSeeingTM in Prague with Leni Schwendinger. Between June 21st and 25th, Prague will be the very center of a global discussion about the future of our cities.
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Best of the best at reSITE
Architect Kazuyo Sejima, Deputy Mayor of Paris Jean-Louis Missika, transportation hubs specialist Caroline Bos, the urban economist Gabriel Ahlfeldt from LSE, or the acclaimed US urbanist Teddy Cruz. These five influential voices in designing cities and other 50 admired architects, experts and inspiring mayors will meet at the 6th annual reSITE conference on the In/visible City at Forum Karlin, a venue designed by Ricardo Bofill. Winny Maas will also give a special lecture on June 23. More than a half of the speakers are women.
“Infrastructure is literally the beating heart and veins of the city. We’re looking to expose the design of infrastructure while stressing that we need to think about it as an investment tool for private and cultural development in the city,” explains reSITE’s Chairman Martin Barry. This year’s exceptional program offers 11 interactive workshops and 3 discussion panels, moderated by brilliant editors of leading media such as Monocle, The Atlantic Citylab and Forbes. reSITE will confirm its position of one the most interactive architecture events.
With the help of digital apps, fieldwork, smart devices and 1:1 scale building sets, the participants will explore the potential of unpleasant neighborhoods (Just Add People), try to save the ferry between two Prague’s districts Holesovice and and Karlin (Luxus for all!), give back the public space occupied by cars to pedestrians (Highways to Hell), display and visualize city data, improve citizen’s engagement in public space, discuss the sharing economy with Shareable and address the future of the brownfield area around Smichov Railway Station. All the workshops are organized as part of Shared Cities: Creative Momentum project and are included in the regular registration fee for the conference.
Free events for the public
In addition to the conference, there are 17 extra day and nighttime events planned for the public. On June 21st, global urban lighting expert Leni Schwendinger will lead her first NightSeeingTM tour through the streets of Prague’s Old Town and riverbank. The evening program will feature several bar crawls to different legendary places in four Prague’s neighborhoods, including Old Town, as well as the most dynamic places of Letna and Holesovice. Bar crawls will be followed by a party in one of the most charming Renaissance courtyards, the Bokovka wine bar.
During the weekend on Saturday and Sunday (June 24-25), anyone can enjoy free tours of “invisible Prague”. This includes exploring Prague’s underground and infrastructures with the insights of experienced guides. "We wanted the visitors of reSITE to experience and touch the inner structure of the city, as we usually don’t even realize its existence as far as everything is functioning," explains Osamu Okamura, reSITE’s Program Director. The tours will include a trip on the old subway train, visits of waste and water treatment plants, or a graffiti workshop in the stock of urban furniture. The public is also invited to discover the Big Bang Data exhibition in the DOX Center for Contemporary Art.
Most of the events require a ticket or pre-registration. Programme of the event is available here.