Borek Sípek

Sípek , born 1949 in Prague, wanted to be an architect or a chef and has almost become both: he is an expert architect and an excellent cook. He began by studying interior design at the school for Arts and Crafts in Prague (1964-68), then moved to Hamburg where he studied architecture. He also turned his attention to theatre, stage design and philosophy and forgot about architecture for a while to concentrate on theory because he wanted to be an art and design critic. After his philosophy study in Stuttgart he was an assistant professor at the Institute of Industrial Design at the Hannover University (1977-79) and in 1979 graduated at the Technical University in Delft, The Netherlands, on the topic 'Relation between Architecture and Semiotics'.
Sípek's first commission was by his sister in 1983 to design her house in Hamburg, which lead to an honourable mention for the 'German Architecture Prize' and acclaimed him international recognition. This was also the year he moved to Amsterdam and opened his architecture and design studio. In 1989 he received the highest Dutch design award: 'Kho Liang Ie Prize'. A few years later (1993) Sípek received the Prins Bernhard Fonds prize for Applied Arts and Design, the prize money - $50.000 - he used for the restoration of 'the Castle' in Prague. Appointed by President Vaclav Havel as 'Castle' architect Sípek was in charge of the 'Castles' restoration, which he co-ordinated from his Prague architecture and design studio.
Following his passion as a cook he opened in 1999 a design shop including a Thai/Japanese restaurant in the centre of Prague named the Arzenal. This is now the city where he lives.

1994 - 2002 Works of various architectural projects:
‘Museum Het Kruithuis’ in Den Bosch, The Netherlands (‘93-‘02),
Opera House in Kyoto (‘94), showroom for ‘Steltman Gallery Amsterdam-New York in Amsterdam (‘94, not executed), boutique for Karl Lagerfeld, Paris (‘95), private houses in The Netherlands and Germany (‘93-‘97), 62 apartments for the municipality of Apeldoorn, The Netherlands (‘94-‘96), shoeshop ‘Shoebaloo’ in Rotterdam (‘95), façade for department store ‘Komatsu’ in Tokyo, Japan (‘96), VIP room and entrance at the Prague Castle (‘96), competition by invitation for theatre design Luxor Theatre, Rotterdam (’96 not executed), private villa ‘Alwes’, French restaurant, ‘Terminal’ Bar, canal house in Amsterdam,pedestrians bridge Chotkova Street in Prague (‘98) private villa Lemiers, The Netherlands (‘99), Art Centre ‘Arsenal’ in Prague (’99 design gallery & Thai/Japanese restaurant), canal house in Amsterdam (’99), pavilion for Skoda international automobile exhibition, Hanover (’99), Rooseveltova Residence, apartment building Prague (’99), Telecom a.s. offices in Prague (’99) Woon Galerie in Amsterdam (’01) Design Centre Mladá Boleslav, Czech Republic (01-’02), Dance studio & Hair saloon in Seoul, Korea (‘01-’02)

Work is included in the collections of:
Museum of Modern Art in New York, Museum for Decorative Art in Prague, Kunstmuseum in Düsseldorf, ‘Stedelijk Museum’ in Amsterdam, Museum Boymans-van Beuningen in Rotterdam, Museum for Decorative Art in Lyon and Paris, The Corning Museum of Glass in New York, The Hague Municipal Museum, Design Museum in London, Vitra Design Museum in Weil am Rhein, Denver Art Museum, Narodní Museum/National Museum in Prague, Museo Internazionale delle Ceramiche, Faenza, Spain.

Designed objects for:
Italy Cleto Munari, Driade Spa, Maletti Spa, Sawaya & Moroni
Switzerland Vitra & Nestlé
Belgium Leitner & Wittmann
France Sèvres & Bernardaud
Germany Anthologie Quartett & Süssmuth
The Netherlands Alterego, Mosa, Steltman Gallery Amsterdam, DSM
Czech Republic Ajeto & Scarabas Lighting
Belgium Scarabas

Biography Borek Sípek

1949 Born in Prague

1964 - 1968 Furniture Design course at the School for arts and Crafts in Prague

1968 Moved to Germany

1969 Architecture course at the High School for Art in Hamburg

1973 Philosophy course in Stuttgart

1977 - 1979 Scientific assistant at the Institute for Industrial Design at the University of Hanover

1979 Graduation in architecture at the Technical University, Delft, on the topic
‘Relation between Architecture and Semiotics’

1979 - 1983 Lecturer in design-theory at the University of Essen

1983 Honourable mention for the ‘German Architecture Prize’ for design of Sipkova house, Hamburg
Moved to Amsterdam and opened architecture & design studio

1987 Solo exhibition at the ‘Musée des Arts Décoratifs´ in Lyon

1989 Awarded the Dutch ‘Kho Liang Ie Prize’ for design

1990 - 1998 Appointed as Professor Architecture at the Prague Academy of Applied Arts

1991 Solo exhibition at the ‘Stedelijk Museum’, Amsterdam
Awarded ‘La Croix Chevalier dans l’ordre des Arts et Lettres’ by the French government

1992 Appointed Court Architect in Prague, Czech Republic by President Vaclev Havel
Solo exhibition at the ‘Vitra Design Museum’ in Weil am Rhein, Germany
Solo exhibition at the Museum for Decorative Arts in Prague

1993 Awarded the ‘Prins Bernhard Fonds Prize’ for Architecture and Applied Arts

1998 Solo exhibition at the Národní Museum (The National Museum) in Prague
Appointed as Professor of Design at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna