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The Czechoslovak Embassy in London
Machková, Nina ; Klimešová, Marie (advisor) ; Švácha, Rostislav (referee)
We study the Embassy building of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic, which received the 1971 Award of the Royal Institute of British Architects for the best newly completed building in London. We examine the building from an architectural point of view and chart its construction; we also place it in the broader context of Czech architecture built in the 60's to represent the State abroad. The main body of work in this context consists of the series of embassies designed by the circle of architects associated with Karel Filsak and Jan Šrámek. Today, these buildings are considered to be some of the finest examples of Czechoslovak architecture of that era. Given the Architecture Award bestowed on the Embassy, we also consider the building within the context of British architecture of the day. We chart the development of New Brutalism, defined as the style pioneered by the group of artists associated with Alice and Peter Smithsons, and we investigate the influence the New Brutalism had on the recipients of the RIBAAwards in the years 1965-1971. We find British as well as foreign influences in these buildings, drawing comparisons with the Embassy building. Keywords architecture, representation, embassy, 20th century, sixties, brutalism, London, Great Britain, The Royal Institute of British Architects...
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