The winner of the 11th Kaplicky Internship is Vít Veselý with his pool complex design

The Kaplicky Internship competition of the Bakala Foundation, which each year offers young architects the opportunity to launch their careers through a three-month covered internship in a prestigious international studio, has announced its winner. This year’s laureate is Vít Veselý, a graduate of the Faculty of Architecture at the Czech Technical University in Prague, who impressed the jury with his design for the Bílina swimming complex Pod korunami (“Under the Canopies”). Thanks to his victory, he will gain experience at the Japanese studio Kengo Kuma & Associates (KKAA), creators of the Tokyo Olympic Stadium and one of the most influential architectural practices of today.

Kaplicky Internship, a competition for emerging young architects, has now reached its eleventh edition. The prestigious award is presented by the Bakala Foundation for the fourth year in cooperation with the Czech Chamber of Architects’ diploma project exhibition Diplomky, the Design Museum in London, and the Kaplicky Centre Endowment Fund. “I am truly delighted to have won, and I’m curious to see what kinds of projects I’ll be working on at Kengo Kuma. I’ve always been fascinated by the studio’s designs and would like to deepen my knowledge and experience specifically in the field of timber construction,” said Vít Veselý, who won over the jury with his project Under the Canopies.

The final presentations took place on Monday, 8 December, at the Bakala Foundation’s Student Hub in Malá Strana. Seven finalists out of a total of 57 evaluated entries competed for the prestigious internship, presenting their projects to an expert jury. In addition to Czech architects, the jury included Marcin Sapeta, a partner at Kengo Kuma & Associates, where this year’s winner will soon begin his placement.

“The winning project resonated strongly with the principles of Kengo Kuma’s studio. Although the competition was extremely high-level, Vít’s design aligned most closely with the values we advocate at Kengo Kuma. The metaphors he uses so vividly connect directly to the natural elements our studio works with. We look forward to collaborating with Vít and believe the internship will be truly inspiring for him,” says Marcin Sapeta, KKAA partner and member of this year’s jury.

Kengo Kuma & Associates is known especially for its innovative use of wood and other natural materials. Among its iconic works are the Tokyo Olympic Stadium, the Yusuhara Community Library, and the Odunpazari Modern Museum. In the Czech Republic, the studio is involved in designing the Mehrin Moravian Jewish Museum in Brno, its first project in the country.

“I’m excited about the internship at Kengo Kuma’s studio because I admire Japanese architecture, which is extremely compact. It functions differently from European architecture—from the prioritization of public transport over cars to the layouts of family homes. I look forward to getting to know the culture thanks to this opportunity,” concludes this year’s Kaplicky Internship winner, Vít Veselý.