Jan Kaplický (1937 – 2009)

Jan Kaplický was a world-famous Czech architect who is revered for being the lead architect at the London-based architectural and design studio Future Systems and for creating avant-garde designs that are whimsical, strange, high tech, futuristic and simply fantastic. His best-known works are the futuristic Selfridges Building in Birmingham, England and the Media Center at Lord’s Cricket Ground in London, although his design for the new National Library in Prague is perhaps his most famous idea currently. The design, which resembles a sort of purple and light green octopus, won the top spot in a prestigious international contest in 2007 for designing a new National Library in Prague. Unfortunately Jan Kaplický’s strange and unique design did not and will not come to fruition as the project was cancelled due to a popular political dispute over the location of the new library. Jan Kaplický never constructed a major building in his home country and he regarded the design of the new National Library as his most important work in his career. Between 1956 and 1962 Jan Kaplický studied in Prague at the Collage of Applied Arts and Architecture and Design where he received his architectural degree. After his schooling he worked in a private Czech firm until the Soviet invasion of 1968; in the beginning of the invasion Jan Kaplický escaped to London and began his architectural career working with various firms including Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers. In 1979 Jan Kaplický started Future Systems with David Nixon.