Exhibition Philosophy of Structures: The Encounter between Jaroslav J. Polívka and Eduardo Torroja, COAM, opening 18 Nov 2026
Exhibition Philosophy of Structures: The Encounter between Jaroslav J. Polívka and Eduardo Torroja
19 November 2026 – 22 January 2027
Opening and conference: 18 November 2026
Curator: Ladislav Jackson
COAM – Official College of Architects of Madrid (Colegio Oficial de Arquitectos de Madrid)
The exhibition Philosophy of Structures takes its title from a book by Eduardo Torroja, which Jaroslav Polívka and his son Miloš prepared for publication in 1958. It traces the origins and development of creative relationships between kindred figures: structural engineers, designers and pioneers of organic architecture. The exhibition presents the life and professional career of Jaroslav Josef Polívka (1886–1960), from his work in Czechoslovakia, Switzerland and Austria to his service at the front during the First World War. It explores his most significant interwar projects in Prague, Brno and Slovakia, as well as his encounters with the progressive avant-garde. Following financial ruin caused by the Great Depression, he faced a difficult path back to the forefront of European modern architecture. His work on iconic pavilions for the World's Fairs in Paris in 1937 and New York in 1939 enabled him to emigrate to the United States, where he settled in California. In 1946, he met Frank Lloyd Wright and immediately became involved in some of the architect's most significant commissions at the time. Their collaboration lasted thirteen years, until Wright's death. In 1947, Polívka met Eduardo Torroja, whom he soon introduced to Wright's circle. The exhibition follows the personal and professional trajectories of Polívka, Torroja and Wright, mapping their connections, relationships and collaborations.
Through period architectural drawings and historical and contemporary photographs, the exhibition offers an accessible insight into Polívka's work. It also presents previously unpublished documents illustrating his life and correspondence with Wright and Torroja, as well as unique models of his projects. These include a new 3D model of the Butterfly-Wing Bay Bridge, which he designed together with Wright between 1948 and 1958, and a model of the house known as “Midglen”, designed by Wright's apprentice William Patrick in Redwood City, California. The models were created by FaVU lecturers Tomáš Medek and Ladislav Jackson and FaVU graduate Lukáš Prokop. For the house, Polívka designed special building blocks, replicas of which were made for the exhibition by sculptor and FaVU graduate Klaudia Korbelič. The exhibition also features a documentary film dedicated to Jaroslav Polívka's work and projects in the San Francisco Bay Area. The graphic design was created by FaVU graduate Petr Škobrtal.
The Philosophy of Structures Project
Jaroslav Josef Polívka, Eduardo Torroja and Frank Lloyd Wright builds on an exhibition presented in Brno and Prague in 2021–2022, offering a partial reprise in an expanded international version. The original concept, which deliberately avoided a linear biographical narrative and was structured into nine thematic sections, each employing a distinct exhibition approach, will now be supplemented with original archival materials from the CEDEX collections documenting the collaboration between Polívka, Torroja and Wright from 1946 to 1960, as well as new interpretative texts.
The project's aim is to present this Czech figure as a key mediator in the international exchange of knowledge in architecture and design. The exhibition is the result of ten years of transcontinental research conducted in archives in the United States, Europe, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The research is also being published in book form: a Czech-language edition and a collective volume in English and Spanish published by CEDEX.
Who Was Jaroslav Josef Polívka?
Jaroslav Josef Polívka (1886–1960) was an eminent Czech structural engineer and designer who gained international recognition as an expert in reinforced concrete structures.
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Frank Lloyd Wright's partner: After emigrating to the United States in 1939, he became a key collaborator of the legendary architect.
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The Guggenheim Museum: He carried out structural calculations and provided the technical expertise that made Wright's visionary buildings possible, including the famous museum in New York.
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His legacy in the Czech Republic: Before leaving for the United States, he designed, among other projects, the structural framework of the Trade Fair Palace in Prague and the Jalta Palace in Brno.
He was an exceptional innovator who successfully brought together scientific engineering and bold architectural vision.
What Can You See at the Exhibition?
The exhibition explores in depth the life and work of Jaroslav Josef Polívka, a versatile engineer and architect of Czech origin, and his more than decade-long professional and personal relationship with the renowned Spanish engineer Eduardo Torroja.
Through the documentary materials on display, visitors can discover:
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A historic encounter: Documents and photographs illustrating how, in 1950, Polívka facilitated the iconic meeting between Frank Lloyd Wright and Eduardo Torroja in the United States.
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The creation of a seminal work: Original archival materials documenting the translation, editing and dissemination of Torroja's celebrated book Razón y ser de los tipos estructurales (Philosophy of Structures), translated into English by Polívka and his son Miloš.
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An international network of the avant-garde: Letters, plans and documents revealing Polívka's connections with major figures in twentieth-century architecture, including Buckminster Fuller, Pier Luigi Nervi, Richard Neutra, Mario Salvadori and Bruno Zevi.
A unique opportunity to gain insight into an era in which technology and aesthetics came together in the art of building.
The exhibition will be accompanied by a conference entitled “Philosophy and Reason”.
The project received support from the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic in 2026.
| Author | Mgr. Tímea Vitázková |
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| Published | |
| Short URL | https://www.favu.vut.cz/en//f26745/d381955 |