Ema Závodná is an art historian and classical archaeologist, and a graduate of the Faculty of Arts at Masaryk University in Brno. Her work focuses on contemporary architecture (bachelor's thesis Buildings by the architectural studio Tham & Videgård Arkitekter) and the contemporary gallery scene in the Czech Republic.
Modern Architecture of Winery Buildings in the Process of Shaping and Transforming Cultural and Natural Landscapes
Her doctoral research focuses on the role of contemporary winery architecture in the Czech Republic.
It explores the evolution of wineries from purely production-oriented facilities into complex architectural structures that integrate wine production, representation, tourism, and landscape. The research examines the relationship between architecture and the spatial and visual identity of the so-called winescape, the influence of sustainable principles on winery design, and the architectural integration of winery buildings into their surrounding landscape.
A number of internationally renowned architects have been involved in winery design, including Norman Foster, Zaha Hadid, Álvaro Siza, Frank Gehry, Herzog & de Meuron, Renzo Piano, Christian de Portzamparc, and many others. Their involvement has resulted in a remarkable number of outstanding architectural projects.
Compared with established wine-growing regions in Western Europe and the New World, Czech wineries entered the globalised wine industry later, both in terms of financial resources and marketing strategies. As a result, architectural design did not initially occupy a prominent position in the development of winery complexes.
Over the past two decades, however, this situation has begun to change significantly. Intensifying competition, increasing visitor mobility, and the growing influence of international architectural precedents have contributed to a gradual redefinition of the winery as a multifunctional architectural and cultural space, extending beyond its primary role as a site of wine production.