The new exhibition DEVADE, subtitled Prague’s Architecture Amidst Austerity and Disco, on view at CAMP from 29 January to 17 May 2026, presents buildings realised in Prague between 1989 and 2004 and uses them to illustrate the changes of the period—from the functioning of professional associations to the arrival of the first DIY megastores, and the way architecture was discussed by political representatives.

After years in which both professionals and the general public have been reassessing their relationship to the building production of the 1960s to 1980s, the time has come to rediscover architecture created immediately after the fall of communism. The 1990s were an important and turbulent decade, yet one that has so far remained rather overlooked in architectural discourse. For this reason, IPR Prague is publishing the book DEVADE by Matěj Beránek, Jan Bureš, Radek Šrettr Úlehla and Adéla Vaculíková, accompanied by this new exhibition of the same name at CAMP.

“Understanding the architecture of the 1990s is crucial for the planning of Prague, because many of the issues of that time—such as rail access to Prague Airport or the completion of the outer Prague Ring Road—are still being addressed today and are also included in the Metropolitan Plan. The topic of opening up Prague Castle is also highly relevant for us; in the 1990s it was led by architect Masák, and today we are addressing it, for example, in the project for the restoration of Chotkovy sady, an area on the border between Prague Castle and the city’s built-up area. With this exhibition, CAMP shows that without a deeper knowledge and understanding of recent history, it is not possible to plan the future of the metropolis responsibly,” says Ondřej Boháč, Director of the Prague Institute of Planning and Development.

The architecture built between the Velvet Revolution and the Czech Republic’s entry into the European Union was primarily shaped by two distinct trends. On the one hand, there was “austerity” inspired by interwar modernism and functionalism, and on the other, “disco”—the freely playful postmodernism of the admired West, full of bizarre shapes and ostentation. After the fall of communism, Prague and the whole of Czechia opened up to an influx of foreign influences, new trends, and digital technologies. A number of now well-established architectural studios were founded. The functioning of professional associations, the relationship to public space, the social status of architects, and even their perception by the country’s political representatives changed. Foreign capital began to flow into Czechia, and relations between architects and private investors developed significantly. The first DIY megastores opened, and banking houses, office buildings with flexible leases, and complex residential projects, among other things, experienced a construction boom. In Prague, leading international architectural practices began working for the first time, bringing figures such as Frank Gehry, Jean Nouvel and Ricardo Bofill, who, together with local architects, reshaped the city and created a number of now iconic buildings.

The DEVADE exhibition presents a selection of buildings created during this contradictory yet significant era, along with the atmosphere and circumstances of their realisation. Its aim is neither to celebrate nor to condemn the period, but to understand it without prejudice or labelling. The exhibition shows that architecture of the 1990s was intellectually far richer and stylistically more diverse than it was long believed to be, and that it offers a key to understanding the post-1989 transformation of the Czech capital. This comprehensive view of architecture from 1989 to 2004 is illustrated through stories and historical and contemporary photographs of selected buildings. Alongside icons such as the Dancing House or the often-criticised Hotel Don Giovanni, the exhibition also includes the Hilton Prague hotel, Prague Exhibition Grounds with the Křižík Pavilions, the Spiral Theater and the Pyramid, or the metro B bridge tunnel, visually reminiscent of a twisting snake among housing estates. The selection is further enriched by the Church of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary in Strašnice, Pragobanka, Rajská zahrada metro station, the Hvězda residential complex, Nový Smíchov shopping center, Michal Caban’s famous Tiger attic apartment, and many other, perhaps lesser-known, buildings from this period.

“We tell the story of 1990s architecture in a multi-layered and entertaining way. Visitors to the exhibition at CAMP will encounter iconic buildings, objects, and subtle details—from Bořek Šípek’s ceremonial Olga chairs, originally designed for the Office of the President of the Republic at Prague Castle, to period advertisements and magazines, to an ironic look at the history of the 1990s through memes from the satirical platform Dynamický Blok. The period atmosphere and social context will be presented in a large-format projection by Pierre Urban, created from Czech Television archive materials and current photographs of 1990s buildings by Radek Štrettr Úlehla. Tactile models of selected buildings are available for those interested, making the topic accessible to the blind as well,” adds Štěpán Bärtl, head of CAMP.