Boundaries of Ambiguity

3/5—7/7 24 at Meetfactory, Prague

exhibition architecture; spatial structure made of drywall profiles, metallic mesh & suspended gratings.

curator*s: Ján Gajdušek, Tereza Havlovicová
production: Nikol Hoangová
installation: Extended production
special thanks: Ruina office & Knauf Praha

Teambuilding

curatorial text / graphics / opening party / bar / stage / videoprojection tower / videomapping / office chairs installation / orientation system

In a world where precarious work becomes an increasingly pressing issue, the topic of Czech Republic’s pavilion at the 2023 Venice Architectural Biennale is ‘The office for a non-precarious future’. Teambuilding foreshadows A2’s planned residency at the Czech pavilion - we confronted the problematics of architecture work and approached it as students and professionals at the very beginning of our careers.

The semestral project was initiated by research of historic and contemporary architectural offices across the Czech and international context over the last 100 years, which is compiled in the ‘Teambuilding’ book. We then assessed the knowledge gained and tackled issues of ethics, wages, hierarchy, work environment and many others in the design of four hypothetical offices, which are represented by films, booklets and physical objects. We conceived practices that deal with waste, question the need for sacrifice in employment or nocturnal work, highlighting the importance of the human edifice in design and more.

The outcomes are interwoven with post-anthropocentric perspectives, cynicism, optimism and hope. One of the distinct features of work in architecture and what likely makes it most prone to precarious conditions, is that we constantly deal with immeasurables - we are driven by a visceral love for our field, we refuse not to address a task in a wide scope, even if the remuneration does not add up with the cost.

In correlation with that, the curatorial and scenographic solution for the exhibition is an immersive workplace environment. It is composed of 1:1 fragments of the offices designed and structures built from disused equipment that we gathered from offices bound to be demolished across Prague. The unmistakable aesthetics of an office are interpreted in an airy way. Teambuilding is a demand for a more just future, a conception of new types of architectural practice and most importantly, a collective effort.

Ankali - Temporary Pleasure workshop

Čerpací stanice 2052

cz
Modulární systém, kterým se jádro přizpůsobuje jakékoliv funkci (vesnice-město, restaurace-samoobsluha-supermarket, dálnice-silnice, lávka-biokoridor, 2 - ∞ kapacita čerpacích míst)

Černobíle rozdělená čerpací a rekreační funkce. Při  čerpání nemusíme vysedat z auta, bezdrátové placení a nabíjení. Oproti tomu restaurace je vizuálně a zvukově odcloněná od vozovky protihlukovou zelenou stěnou a plně otevřená směrem do okolí. 

Vizuální odkaz na stanová městečka (proměnnost, vysoká versatilita) staré benzínové stanice (sklo, světlo, podlouhlé prostory) a závodní stáje.

Progresivní i přechodná paliva, ekologická návaznost na krajinu. CNG / LPG, H2, EV.

eng

Filling station 2052Competition entry 

A modular system able to adjust to the complete range of use of charging stations. Countryside - city, restaurant - convinience store - supermarket, highway - street, bridge - biocorridor, 2- ∞ charging / parking spots. 

A vivid contrast between the filling and recreational premises. While recharging our car, we don’t have to get out at all - wireless charging and payment. Contrary to that are the dining premises shielded visually and audibly from the communication with a green anti-noise wall and fully open to the surroundings.

A visual reference to camp sites (high versatility, ever-changing), old petrol stations (glass, light, longitudal space) and racing stables.

Progressive and transitional fuels, ecological continuity with surrounding terrain. CNG / LPG / H2 / EV. 

Kůlna

Shed