Brutal Beauty: A Video Tour of the Czech and Slovak Embassies in London + live Q&A (TRAILER)

Brutal Beauty: A Video Tour of the Czech and Slovak Embassies in London + live Q&A

THU 17 JUN 2021, 6:30 pm BST

Join us for a tour of one of the prime examples of Brutalist architecture in London and discover what’s hiding behind the facade of the Czech and Slovak Embassies.

Owen Hatherley, architecture critic and author of Landscapes of Communism: A History through Buildings, will guide you through the recently refurbished London Czech Embassy from its spectacular roof terrace with iconic water towers to the original cinema in the basement, exploring also the original interior of the Slovak Embassy where raw concrete is juxtaposed with artistic and decorative elements.

Designed by the leading Czech architects Jan Šrámek, Jan Bočan and Karel Štepánský, in collaboration with the architect of the Royal Festival Hall, Robert Mathew, it was awarded the RIBA London Region Award in 1971 and marked a significant redevelopment in the Notting Hill Gate area in the late ‘60s.

Looking back to pre-war Czech Modernism and post-war architecture, Owen Hatherley will discuss its influence in Britain while exploring the obtuse angles and concrete details of the building designed in accordance with the prevailing architectural trends and representing the best of Brutalist architecture.

Director: Alžběta Kovandová, Czech Centre London 2021, 35 mins

[lukasnovotny]

This will be brilliant! Can't wait to see it