HÖLZEL Zdeněk

I must start with my family and professional ancestors.
My great grandfather Josef was a mason who specialised to big chimneys.
His son Josef Lambert 1871-1953 was a builder and after many years of practice went on to become an architect and designer. His son – my father Zdeněk 1909-1984 studied architecture at the Czech technical university – Prague and graduated in 1933. He practiced architecture his whole career.

I studied architecture at the Czech Technical University in Prague until 1971 and then at the Prague Art Academy until 1973. I have practiced architecture for 47 years and from 1990 (after the Czech Velvet Revolution ) in private practice – with partner Jan Kerel.

My career has been blessed with the opportunity to work with some of the Masters: With Romaldo Giurgola on a Singapore project for the Airforce and with Claude Parent on the Prague Myslbek project – a gateway from the Prague old town to the new.

We completed many projects – most have been built. All the time with an ambition to do the best we could and leave the world in better place than it was before. Always more in harmony with the context than in spite of it.

What I have learned in my long career is that there must be love in architecture. It is so simply and humbly that I see architecture today.