Eva Jiricna has served as a member of the 12th and 13th IAI jury and actively participated in supporting various academic exchange activities of the Asia Pacific Designers Federation (APDF). She frequently traveled to China to attend design festivals organized by APDF. Due to her outstanding contributions and influence in the design field, as well as her assistance in developing the platform of the Asia Pacific Designers Federation, especially in Chinese design development, IAI awarded her the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019, making her the second world-class design master to receive this honor after Zaha Hadid.
Eva Jiricna Brief Introduction
Eva Jiricna, a renowned Czech architect and national treasure-level design master, is celebrated for her attention to detail and distinctly modern style. Her famous steel and glass staircase designs have influenced countless designers. Eva has been a visiting professor at numerous prestigious universities in Europe and America, including the University of Sheffield, the University of Nottingham, and Tomas Bata University in Zlín. She served as a jury member for the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Gold Medal and was honored as a Royal Academician by the Royal Academy of Arts in 1993. In 2006, she was made an Honorary Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, and in 2007, she received a Lifetime Achievement Award in Architecture from the Czech Ministry of Culture. In 2013, she was awarded the Jane Drew Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2015, she was honored with the King George Medal by the Czech Ministry of Industry and Trade.
Main Experience
EJA (design agency) was founded by Eva Jiricna in London since 1968. In 1999, Prague architect Petr Vagner and Eva co-founded AI-Design Studio, operating simultaneously. Eva Jiricna's extensive career began in 1968 after arriving in the UK, working at the Greater London Council, followed by a partnership with Louis de Soissons (becoming an associate architect) on the Brighton Marina project for 10 years, and then at Richard Rogers Partnership. She contributed to the facade and interior design of the Lloyd's building in London. Her collaboration with Jan Kaplicky and Future Systems led to a groundbreaking design for Harrods department store, an award-winning retail project that influenced a generation and allowed her to start her practice. She closely collaborated with the fashion brand Joseph, designing a series of stores and cafés, creating her unique retail design style. This, in turn, brought her numerous projects worldwide, especially for Joan & David Shoes, with branches in nearly every major U.S. city. Her signature staircase design elements, often incorporated into complex design and engineering projects. Recent UK projects include work at the V&A and the new Bollinger Jewelry Gallery, boutiques and designer jewelry halls at Harrods, and graffiti plan implementation at notable UK locations. In 2014, the modern intervention in the west wing of Somerset House included the insertion of a new staircase within the historic structure of the building, named the "Miles Staircase", with more residential project clients for her practice ongoing.
Since Eva's arrival in the UK, the Russian invasion of Czechoslovakia prevented her from returning home for 22 years. Once she could travel back to her hometown Prague, she committed to teaching at the University of Applied Arts, where she had studied, and established an office named AI-Design in the city, winning projects such as the new Orangery in Prague Castle Gardens, C. Andersen at the GHRY Building, and the newly constructed Josef Hotel in Prague's Old Town. After the 1989 Velvet Revolution, she reestablished a long-term friendship with Václav Havel. Havel later became President of the new Czech Republic, and they continued various project collaborations until his death in 2011. They worked on preserving and restoring the St. Anne's Church in Prague as a multifunctional cultural center for the VIZE 97 Foundation, featuring symposiums, lectures, meetings, performances, etc. In 2017, a significant reconstruction was completed in her birthplace Zlín, including the new Tomas Bata University library and associated cultural center, and a new project - the Faculty of Humanities.
Over the years, Jiricna's contributions to architecture and design have been recognized with numerous prestigious awards, including Royal Designer for Industry (RDI), Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE), elected as a Royal Academician by the Royal Academy of Arts, AIA Honorary Fellow, and a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Czech Ministry of Culture. She has been awarded many honorary doctorates (ten) and professorships by universities. Eva is dedicated to various aspects of architectural education, often lecturing and holding workshops for students, and serving as an external examiner for many universities. She frequently participates in architectural juries and international lectures about her work.
Award-Winning Works
- 2019: IAI Lifetime Achievement Award
- 2017: Czech Architectural Award of the Year, Winning Work: TAMAS Bata University Faculty of Humanities
- 2011: World Architecture Festival Award for Best Interior Space in Culture, Winning Work: Cultural Conference Center
- 2010: Czech Architectural Award of the Year, Winning Work: Cultural Conference Center, Czech Republic
- 2010: “Baumit Award” of the Year, Winning Work: Cultural Conference Center, Czech Republic
- 2010: Grand Prix Award, Winning Work: Brown's Cafe, Prague
- 2010: Finalist for the Prince Philip Designers Prize
- 2010: Architectural Award of the Year, Winning Work: Zlin Thomas Bata Library/Administrative Building, Czech Republic
- 2009: Czech Ministry of Culture Lifetime Achievement Award in Architecture
- 2009: American Institute of Architects Excellence in Design Award, Winning Work: Leigh and Judith Bollinger Jewelry Gallery, Victoria and Albert Museum, London
- 2004: Czech Society of Architects Grand Prize for Reconstruction, Winning Work: St. Anne's Church, Prague
- 2004: Royal Fine Art Commission Trust Foundation "Magic Flute Award" of the Year, Winning Work: Mozart Terrace, Ebury Street, London
- 2004: UK Jewelry Award - Best Store Design of the Year, Winning Work: Liverpool
- 2003: American Institute of Architects Excellence in Design Award, Winning Work: Josef Hotel, Prague, Czech Republic
- OBEC Czech Society of Architects/Grand Prize, Winning Work: Josef Hotel (Architectural Design), Prague
- 2001: The Integrated Transport Award, Winning Work: Canada Water Bus Interchange, London
- 2000: 40th Anniversary Civic Trust Award/Commendation, Winning Work: Canada Water Bus Interchange, London
- 2000: Steel Structure/Grand Prize, Winning Work: Canada Water Bus Interchange, London
- 2000: 40th Anniversary Civic Trust Award/Contribution Award, Winning Work: Kimberlin Library, De Montfort University, Leicester
- 2000: Prague Mayor's Award for Outstanding Architectural Design, Winning Work: The Orangery at Prague Castle
- 1994: Prince Philip Designers Prize: Finalist
- 1993: Prince Philip Designers Prize: Finalist
- 1991: Interior Design Award (USA), Winning Work: The Browns Nightclub, Queen's Road, London
- 1990: Design Week Award for Retail Environment, First Place, Winning Work: Joseph, Sloane Street, London
- 1989: D&AD Silver Award for Interior Decoration: Alex Boutique, Florence, Italy
- 1989: Interior Retail Award, First Place, Winning Work: Alex Boutique, Florence, Italy
- 1989: NAS Retail and Design Award, Winning Work: Joseph, Fulham Road, London
- 1983: Interior Design Advertising Award, Winning Work: Eva Park Apartments, London
- 1982: Retail Design Advertising Award, Winning Work: Kenzo Takada, Sloane Street, London
- 1982: Interior Design Advertising Award, Winning Work: Joseph Ettedgui Apartment, Sloane Street, London
- 1981: Interior Design Award, Winning Work: Joseph Ettedgui Apartment, Sloane Street, London
