The first part of the April lecture will feature Martin Schmitz, a representative of the Berlin-based landscape architecture studio Atelier Loidl. His lecture called “Wilderness and the City” will focus on the issue of wilderness within the urban environment: where to find it, which tools can be used to create it, and how to preserve it. Martin Schmitz says that wilderness can be an unintended, spontaneous, and surprising element of the urban landscape. He will also show what is the approach of Atelier Loidl to this topic and how they are trying to face the major global issues such as biodiversity loss or extreme climate events and their impact on life in cities.

The second part of the evening will feature garden designer and gardener Ondřej Fous. His lecture entitled “Survival of the Urban Park” will focus on public green areas and their transformation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The main topics will be the sustainability of historical traditions and customs in parks as well as a search for wilderness in a city. The lecture will be followed by a discussion with both lecturers.

 The lecture will be in English.

 Martin Schmitz is part of Atelier Loidl where he works on designs and competitions for public spaces together with Leonard Grosch. Martin focuses on conceptual work and is interested in projects with ecological and social ambitions. He’s been working in Atelier Loidl since 2013 and he is responsible for competitions there. Besides that, he’s been teaching at the Department of Landscape Architecture and Design of LU Hannover since 2019 and participates in juries at various universities.

Atelier Loidl is a Berlin-based landscape architecture studio specializing in the conversions of abandoned urban sites. One of their significant projects is the transformation of a park at the former Gleisdreieck railway track near Potsdamer Platz in Berlin. This park had been undeveloped for a long time. The new design introduced a generous, yet poetic and simple solution that includes playgrounds, sports grounds, community gardens, and recreational spaces. The Atelier has won several awards and regularly takes part in architectural competitions, for example, it participated in the design of Vltava Philharmonic Hall Prague by Barozzi and M1 Architects which took 2nd place. In Slovakia, the Atelier won a competition for the SNP and Kamenné Square in Bratislava.

Ondřej Fous is a many-sided expert active in horticulture, garden design, and plant cultivation. Besides that, he is also a university teacher and publicist who has long been involved in the struggle for the revival of the gardening profession. One of his major projects was a landscaping solution and revitalization of Čelakovského sady and the surroundings of the National Museum in Prague, where he participated in the creation of a space that offers a place for recreation, meetings, and relaxation in the city center. Ondřej Fous also manages the Castle Garden Center Ctěnice and is active in TRSEM – Trvalky Semanín where he works on promoting and spreading information about perennials and their use in garden architecture.