Future Systems 事務所 主持建築師 Jan Kaplicky 驟然辭世
2008年10月宣布與合夥建築師Amanda Levete拆夥，Future Systems 建築師事務所的主持人，捷克出生的英國著名建築設計師 Jan Kaplicky 於2009年1月14日夜晚突然逝世，享年72歲。當天他的比他年輕41歲的第二任太太剛剛生下一個女兒。
媒體認為，31歲就流亡國外，後來在英國成名的Jan Kaplicky 晚年最為抱憾的事是，他始終無法實現在故鄉捷克留下一處地標性建築的願望。
據捷新社報導，Jan Kaplicky 1月14日夜晚被發現躺在布拉格6區一條街道上，救護人員趕到現場時他已經死亡，警方排除了他的死由外部因素引起的可能性。
2007年3月，Jan Kaplicky 和他的Future Systems 建築師事務所贏得新的捷克國家圖書館(Prague National Library)建築設計競圖，一個包括頂級建築設計專家和聯合國教科文組織官員在內的國際評審小組在布拉格從全球400多個應徵參賽的建築設計方案中幾乎毫無異議地將他們的作品評為一等獎。
「它簡單、輕靈的感覺讓大家迷上了」參加評審的設計師國際聯盟代表沃夫岡.托赫特曼當時表示。
按照設計評選原則，方案不僅必須美觀，實用，而且施工和建成後運行都必須省錢。新的捷克國家圖書館預定座落在離著名的布拉格城堡不遠的萊德納公園。
據稱競圖招標評選按照澳大利亞雪梨歌劇院和比利時北約總部大廈的競標規則進行，「希望幾年之後我們可以驕傲地宣布，捷克國家圖書館也躋身這些世界著名標誌性建築的行列」， 托赫特曼說。
Jan Kaplicky 得知於競圖奪冠消息後十分驚喜，稱「這也許是我一生中最重要的時刻」，Kaplicky 41年以前就離開捷克前往英國，他的名望在歐洲其它國家要比在捷克更為人所知，競圖獲獎意味著他將首次有機會在祖國的土地上展示自己的重要作品。
但是捷克有不少人並不喜歡他設計的外表象一只章魚或青蛙的新的國家圖書館，捷克總統克勞斯和布拉格市長貝姆是反對者中的重量級人物。專家們選中的方案被束之高閣，Jan Kaplicky 奔走呼號，但無濟於事，此事是他近兩年的心頭之痛，並最終成為一個無法實現的夢想。
曾有人評論說，Jan Kaplicky 和他的Future Systems 建築師事務所一貫挑戰傳統，質疑成見, 其設計鮮明、實用、新穎，注重環保效益及與周圍環境的和諧溝通。他們設計的建築大多如同科幻片中的場景，無論是學校、百貨公司、住宅還是地鐵車站，都完全 沒有棱角。
「有哪本建築教科書曾說過建築物一定要像盒子一樣方方的？人就不是方方的,為什麼房子要方方的？」 Jan Kaplicky曾經這樣說過。
Future Systems 設計的洛德新媒體中心(Lord's Cricket Ground media Centre)像一個漂浮在空中的膠囊，Birmingham Selfridges 百貨公司外表複蓋著15000 片閃閃發光的鋁制圓盤，象是一艘能夠吸引眾人目光，把人潮吞入腹中的的宇宙飛船；義大利摩德納的 Maserati 瑪莎拉第跑車博物館的設計靈感就來自跑車的散熱器；而倫敦國家劇院則被建築觀念保守的查爾斯王子形容為「在倫敦市中心建造了一座核能發電廠」。
以下轉貼自BD，對於 Jan Kaplicky 的驟然過世，幾位建築界的人都發表了意見。
Jan Kaplicky 曾於 1979年~1983年在Foster Associates(Norman Foster)工作，所以 Norman Foster 也講了話，稱 Kaplicky 是位「偉大的建築師」，Foster 說「我很震驚，Kaplicky 是位偉大的建築師、可貴的同事、很好的朋友」。
的確很替 Jan Kaplicky 感到惋惜，建築師們在能夠說服業主做出真正自己想要的東西前，必然得經過許多時間的煎熬與奮戰，即便像是 Jan Kaplicky 已經到了七旬這年紀，之前的作品也不盡然能實現他心裡面的那個想望，好不容易贏得了布拉格圖書館競圖，卻沒能活到看到作品完整呈現在眼前，他想必非常期盼 布拉格圖書館的完成，享受那種奮戰之後的快感吧！高齡101歲的巴西建築師 Oscar Niemeyer 對時間與建築實踐之間關係的感受肯定更深，2000年時在45歲年紀過世的西班牙建築師 Enric Miralles 或許有更多的恨與愁。
各位建築師，請好好地活著。
Foster leads tributes as 'irreplaceable' Jan Kaplicky, 71, dies
15 January, 2009
Jan Kaplicky of Future Systems has died in Prague at the age of 71. The renowned architect collapsed last night only hours after his new wife gave birth to a daughter, according to Czech news agency CTK.
Tributes from around the profession have begun to pour in following news of the unexpected death. Norman Foster called Kaplicky a "great architect".
"I am shocked and devastated. Jan was a great architect, valued colleague and good friend,"' he said.
Former Architecture Review editor Paul Finch, called Kaplicky an "architect of immense integrity, somebody who wouldn't back down and would fight almost to the death to see a project through.
"He had a very gifted creative combination of ideas and drawing ability. He brought to British architecture a kind of imaginative modernism which stemmed form the brilliant Czech modernist tradition.
"If you look at the work of Future Systems you see a seamlessness running through right up to his most controversial project [The Czech Library]. I have no doubt that the pressure of trying to fight for that project contributed to his too early death."
RIBA gold medal winning architect Peter Cook said: "I had tremendous admiration for him. He was one of the most exciting architects in town. I think his reputation will increase. And we'll realise that he was very, very special and ahead of his time."
Critic and author Ken Powell said Kaplicky was ""irreplaceable".
"He was an extraordinary character and inventive thinker. A visionary who campaigned for change he was never entirely at home in the world of practice because he was years ahead. That made him unhappy because he felt unappreciated."
Powell added: "Future Systems became legendary as a think tank long before it ever built anything."
Commenting on Kaplicky personally, Powell said: "He could be rather entertaining but he was also very pessimistic about the world and about architecture… because reality never met his expectations and vision.
"I don't think he did fulfil his potential because there were many more ideas and perhaps he didn't have time in his life to do them."
Born on April 18, 1937, Kaplicky moved to Britain in 1968 when the Soviet Union invaded Czechoslovakia as it then was.
Kaplicky worked with the cream of a generation of architects, including Norman Foster, Richard Rogers and Renzo Piano before founding Future Systems.
Key design credits include Selfridges store in Birmingham and the Lords Media Centre.
Kaplicky's second wife Eliska gave birth to daughter Johana on Wednesday afternoon, CTK said. Kaplicky also had a son, Josef, from the first marriage with British architect and Future Systems partner Amanda Levete.
JAN KAPLICKY 經歷
出生：Prague, Czechoslovakia 1937年 布拉格
合夥經營 Future Systems 1979年
單獨執業：Prague 1964-68
Foster Associates: 1979-83
Spencer & Webster, Associate: 1974-75
Piano & Rogers: 1971-73
Denys Lasdun & Partners: 1969-71
媒體認為，31歲就流亡國外，後來在英國成名的Jan Kaplicky 晚年最為抱憾的事是，他始終無法實現在故鄉捷克留下一處地標性建築的願望。
據捷新社報導，Jan Kaplicky 1月14日夜晚被發現躺在布拉格6區一條街道上，救護人員趕到現場時他已經死亡，警方排除了他的死由外部因素引起的可能性。
2007年3月，Jan Kaplicky 和他的Future Systems 建築師事務所贏得新的捷克國家圖書館(Prague National Library)建築設計競圖，一個包括頂級建築設計專家和聯合國教科文組織官員在內的國際評審小組在布拉格從全球400多個應徵參賽的建築設計方案中幾乎毫無異議地將他們的作品評為一等獎。
「它簡單、輕靈的感覺讓大家迷上了」參加評審的設計師國際聯盟代表沃夫岡.托赫特曼當時表示。
按照設計評選原則，方案不僅必須美觀，實用，而且施工和建成後運行都必須省錢。新的捷克國家圖書館預定座落在離著名的布拉格城堡不遠的萊德納公園。
據稱競圖招標評選按照澳大利亞雪梨歌劇院和比利時北約總部大廈的競標規則進行，「希望幾年之後我們可以驕傲地宣布，捷克國家圖書館也躋身這些世界著名標誌性建築的行列」， 托赫特曼說。
Jan Kaplicky 得知於競圖奪冠消息後十分驚喜，稱「這也許是我一生中最重要的時刻」，Kaplicky 41年以前就離開捷克前往英國，他的名望在歐洲其它國家要比在捷克更為人所知，競圖獲獎意味著他將首次有機會在祖國的土地上展示自己的重要作品。
但是捷克有不少人並不喜歡他設計的外表象一只章魚或青蛙的新的國家圖書館，捷克總統克勞斯和布拉格市長貝姆是反對者中的重量級人物。專家們選中的方案被束之高閣，Jan Kaplicky 奔走呼號，但無濟於事，此事是他近兩年的心頭之痛，並最終成為一個無法實現的夢想。
曾有人評論說，Jan Kaplicky 和他的Future Systems 建築師事務所一貫挑戰傳統，質疑成見, 其設計鮮明、實用、新穎，注重環保效益及與周圍環境的和諧溝通。他們設計的建築大多如同科幻片中的場景，無論是學校、百貨公司、住宅還是地鐵車站，都完全 沒有棱角。
「有哪本建築教科書曾說過建築物一定要像盒子一樣方方的？人就不是方方的,為什麼房子要方方的？」 Jan Kaplicky曾經這樣說過。
Future Systems 設計的洛德新媒體中心(Lord's Cricket Ground media Centre)像一個漂浮在空中的膠囊，Birmingham Selfridges 百貨公司外表複蓋著15000 片閃閃發光的鋁制圓盤，象是一艘能夠吸引眾人目光，把人潮吞入腹中的的宇宙飛船；義大利摩德納的 Maserati 瑪莎拉第跑車博物館的設計靈感就來自跑車的散熱器；而倫敦國家劇院則被建築觀念保守的查爾斯王子形容為「在倫敦市中心建造了一座核能發電廠」。
以下轉貼自BD，對於 Jan Kaplicky 的驟然過世，幾位建築界的人都發表了意見。
Jan Kaplicky 曾於 1979年~1983年在Foster Associates(Norman Foster)工作，所以 Norman Foster 也講了話，稱 Kaplicky 是位「偉大的建築師」，Foster 說「我很震驚，Kaplicky 是位偉大的建築師、可貴的同事、很好的朋友」。
的確很替 Jan Kaplicky 感到惋惜，建築師們在能夠說服業主做出真正自己想要的東西前，必然得經過許多時間的煎熬與奮戰，即便像是 Jan Kaplicky 已經到了七旬這年紀，之前的作品也不盡然能實現他心裡面的那個想望，好不容易贏得了布拉格圖書館競圖，卻沒能活到看到作品完整呈現在眼前，他想必非常期盼 布拉格圖書館的完成，享受那種奮戰之後的快感吧！高齡101歲的巴西建築師 Oscar Niemeyer 對時間與建築實踐之間關係的感受肯定更深，2000年時在45歲年紀過世的西班牙建築師 Enric Miralles 或許有更多的恨與愁。
各位建築師，請好好地活著。
Foster leads tributes as 'irreplaceable' Jan Kaplicky, 71, dies
15 January, 2009
Jan Kaplicky of Future Systems has died in Prague at the age of 71. The renowned architect collapsed last night only hours after his new wife gave birth to a daughter, according to Czech news agency CTK.
Tributes from around the profession have begun to pour in following news of the unexpected death. Norman Foster called Kaplicky a "great architect".
"I am shocked and devastated. Jan was a great architect, valued colleague and good friend,"' he said.
Former Architecture Review editor Paul Finch, called Kaplicky an "architect of immense integrity, somebody who wouldn't back down and would fight almost to the death to see a project through.
"He had a very gifted creative combination of ideas and drawing ability. He brought to British architecture a kind of imaginative modernism which stemmed form the brilliant Czech modernist tradition.
"If you look at the work of Future Systems you see a seamlessness running through right up to his most controversial project [The Czech Library]. I have no doubt that the pressure of trying to fight for that project contributed to his too early death."
RIBA gold medal winning architect Peter Cook said: "I had tremendous admiration for him. He was one of the most exciting architects in town. I think his reputation will increase. And we'll realise that he was very, very special and ahead of his time."
Critic and author Ken Powell said Kaplicky was ""irreplaceable".
"He was an extraordinary character and inventive thinker. A visionary who campaigned for change he was never entirely at home in the world of practice because he was years ahead. That made him unhappy because he felt unappreciated."
Powell added: "Future Systems became legendary as a think tank long before it ever built anything."
Commenting on Kaplicky personally, Powell said: "He could be rather entertaining but he was also very pessimistic about the world and about architecture… because reality never met his expectations and vision.
"I don't think he did fulfil his potential because there were many more ideas and perhaps he didn't have time in his life to do them."
Born on April 18, 1937, Kaplicky moved to Britain in 1968 when the Soviet Union invaded Czechoslovakia as it then was.
Kaplicky worked with the cream of a generation of architects, including Norman Foster, Richard Rogers and Renzo Piano before founding Future Systems.
Key design credits include Selfridges store in Birmingham and the Lords Media Centre.
Kaplicky's second wife Eliska gave birth to daughter Johana on Wednesday afternoon, CTK said. Kaplicky also had a son, Josef, from the first marriage with British architect and Future Systems partner Amanda Levete.
JAN KAPLICKY 經歷
出生：Prague, Czechoslovakia 1937年 布拉格
合夥經營 Future Systems 1979年
單獨執業：Prague 1964-68
Foster Associates: 1979-83
Spencer & Webster, Associate: 1974-75
Piano & Rogers: 1971-73
Denys Lasdun & Partners: 1969-71
