Published 21. 12. 2023
“Women in Architecture” Database
We are proud to present our newly launched database and website Women in Architecture: Architecture and Emancipation in the Czech Republic after 1945. Until now, only a few Czech women architects have been known to the public. The topic has received limited research attention, and a comprehensive overview of the biographies of women architects and their work is notably absent. Our new online research catalogue presents 50 out of the planned approximately 100 biographies of women architects, along with lists of their works, including an image gallery showcasing their projects. Information is provided on Alena Šrámková, Eva Jiřičná, Zdenka Nováková, Růžena Žertová, Vítězslava Rothbauerová, Daniela Fenclová, Marie Davidová, Jaromíra Šimoníková, and many others. Additionally, five podcasts with women architects are ready for listening, and more are on the way.
The database and website are integral parts of a comprehensive research project aimed at mapping and interpreting women's creativity in architecture within the context of socio-political changes in the Czech Republic. The project places strong emphasis on interdisciplinary overlap and topics, such as the practice of the architectural profession, and the balance between professional and private lives. It presents women across the spectrum of their roles, including architects, theoreticians, historians, designers, as well as public servants and mediators.
In addition to the database, the project’s primary output is a monograph titled Women in Architecture, scheduled for publication in spring 2024. The project team consists of Helena Huber-Doudová (project co-lead at NGP), Klára Brůhová (project co-lead UMPRUM), Petra Hlaváčková, Šárka Malošíková, Nikola Zahrádková, and Barbora Řepková. The research was made possible with support from the Czech Science Foundation (project no. GA 21-22749S) and conducted in collaboration between the National Gallery in Prague (NGP) and the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague (UMPRUM).
For more information, please visit https://zenyvarchitekture.cz/homepage-en/ .