SOFFA / SPORT, English edition by SOFFA

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VOLUME | 16

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SOFFA ISSUE 16 IS DEDICATED TO SPORT The Sport issue of SOFFA 16 has two goals: to inspire you to get moving, and to make your relaxation time more pleasant, because as you will learn from an elite athlete, rest is key to mastering your game. In addition to the regular features like Interiors (renovated loft space in Liberec and an eclectic flat in Munich) and Travel (we explore Leipzig – perhaps the most dynamic of German cities today), this issue brings you a gallery of famous Czech sports arenas and their histories. The article Blood, Sweat and Tears goes in search of the real essence of sport and through a series of collages you will learn why Czechs are a nation of sportsmen and women with a penchant for offbeat sports. The DIY manual on Elastics jumping will take you back to your childhood, and if you are a fan of motorcycles, then you are sure to enjoy our story on Hookie Co. In our Fashion feature we will teach you how to combine sports attire with haute couture and look great for any workout. And finally, we will introduce you to several fans who love sport so much they lead a double life. Still not sure what sport is best for you? You may find your answer in the article on human somatotypes. YOUR SPORT – YOUR LIFE!

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ISSUE THEME: SPORT Explore with us the history of sport and the mysteries of human locomotion. Whether you think of sport as competition, entertainment, camaraderie or escape, this issue of SOFFA is guaranteed to make you move!

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CONTENTS - VOLUME | 16

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EDITORIAL Our Motivation

01 | SPORTS COLLAGE Czechs In Motion

03 | FASHION “What We Do, When We Just Do It!”

04 | CREATIVE PEOPLE Let’s Play Hookie

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06 | TRAVEL Germany’s New Creative Capital 6

07 | UNIQUE INTERIORS Bel Étage Apartment

02 | EDITORS’ CHOICE Novelties For The Summer

05 | SOMATOTYPES Sport Versus Body Types

Rooftop View Of Ještěd

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126

Sport & Champagne

08 | DIY SPORTS You Must Jump To Be Czech

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Blood - Sweat - Tears

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10 | BUILT FOR SPORT Tabernacles Of Czech Sport

09 | SPORTS DIEHARDS Devoted To Their Sport

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11 | SOFFA & FEDRIGONI Czech Design Meets Fedrigoni

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O U R M OT I VAT I O N text: Adéla Kudrnová I photo: Ondřej Lipár

Whether you are a super active athlete or do most of your sporting activity on the sofa in front of the telly, we hope this sports issue SOFFA 16 will give you enough motivation to move towards your performance goals. And we are not necessarily talking about running the marathon, at least not straight away! Go step by step and remember that effort is what really counts. The SOFFA team is always coming up with new sporting goals and every one of us faces a different challenge: be it training for a 10 km

â&#x2013;ş

run, moving the office into a new space over the course of a weekend, finishing the new SOFFA issue on time, or keeping our readers engaged and interested - this too is a sporting achievement for the SOFFA team! One thing we believe is that together we will be stronger, and to prove this to you and to ourselves, the SOFFA team has decided to exercise together. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll learn about our new training programme SOFFA CHALLENGE in the next two pages and also on our website at www.soffamag.com. Your very motivated team SOFFA

SO F FA & N I K E C H A L L EN G E WE CAN D O I T, A N D S O C A N YO U! partner for the article: Nike | photo: Ondล ej Lipรกr

THE HARDEST PART OF WORKING OUT IS GETTING UP AND STARTING TO MOVE. TO MAKE IT EASIER ON OURSELVES, WE DECIDED TO TEAM UP WITH THE NIKE+ RUN CLUB AND THE NIKE+ TRAINING CLUB. IN THE FOLLOWING WEEKS WE HOPE TO INSPIRE YOU TO FIND YOUR OWN FAVOURITE SPORT. READY, SET, GO!

Starting something difficult with the help of your friends is always more pleasant than starting alone. With this in mind, the whole SOFFA gang will take part in four Nike training workshops and we hope you will follow our progress. Radka Vandasová, our favourite Amazon, already taught us about mobility stretching on August 4. The unstoppable Michal Kulka will follow her lead and give his workshop on running on August 25. On September 9 Marek Podmolík, aka The Mountain, will take us through an intense circuit training workshop and finally, on September 15, our own yogi Petra Weigeltová will finish the challenge with her yoga workshop. Are you inspired? Start your own routine and let us know about your progress! Just go to nike.com/prague or www.soffamag.com/soffa-challenge Follow us on social media: #SoffaChallenge

SPO R T S CO L L AG E Favourite Czech Pastimes

CZ ECH S I N M OT I O N text: Martin Sova | styling: Michaela Karásek Čejková photo: Michaela Karásek Čejková

SOME MAY FIND IT DIFFICULT TO COMPREHEND HOW A NATION OF WORLD RENOWNED BEER SWIGGERS CAN ALSO BE ACTIVE AND AGILE. REGARDLESS OF THE TIME OF YEAR YOU ARE BOUND TO SEE, ESPECIALLY AT THE WEEKEND, MANY CZECHS IMMERSED IN SPORTS OF ALL SORTS. AND WE ARE NOT SPEAKING ONLY OF TRENDY SPORTS LIKE RUNNING OR FOOTBALL - INDEED, THE CZECH PEOPLE LIKE SPORTING ACTIVITIES THAT ARE LESS COMMON ELSEWHERE IN THE WORLD. AND DESPITE THEIR INBORN AVERSION TO PATHOS, CZECHS CAN BECOME INCREDIBLY EMOTIONAL WHEN IT COMES TO IMPORTANT SPORTS MEETS. Without a doubt the Sokol gymnastics movement, founded in the second half of the 19th century, played a huge role in the development of Czech people’s interest in sport and exercise. The Communist period further influenced the development of sport as a favoured pastime, as during the Communist years it was almost impossible to travel outside the country, and one had to look for entertainment at home: in the mountains and forests, on the rivers and roadways and in the Sokolovna gymnasiums found in every town, large or small. Thus, the dimension of escapism, which goes hand in hand with today’s notion of sport as mass entertainment (and equally with historical views, as described by the Roman poet Juvenal in the slogan ‘bread and circuses’), took on a whole new meaning in Communist Central Europe. Sport was also an important symbol of political defiance: beating a world power in a championship hockey match was, for a small nation, akin to beating the mythical Goliath. ■

‘ WATERING’: C ANOEING , R AFT I N G A N D KAYA KING AS SOON AS SPRING BRINGS WARMER DAYS AND NATURE AWAKENS FROM ITS WINTER SLUMBER, CZECH RIVERS QUICKLY FILL WITH CANOES, RAFTS AND KAYAKS. CZECHS HAVE A SPECIAL TERM FOR COMBINING THE SPORT OF TRAVELLING ALONG RIVERS AND THE SOCIAL ASPECT OF DOING IT WITH KINDRED SPIRITS. IT TRANSLATES TO ‘WATERING’ AND HAS A CULTURE ALL OF ITS OWN.

Most Czechs have kayaked, canoed or rafted their first river, or at least a stretch of it, when they were in primary or secondary school - knowing how to swim, board a small boat, guide it down a river, and then get off without ending up neck-deep in water are skills that many consider to be a matter of course. But as you grow up excursions on the rivers Sázava, Vltava, Ohře or any other navigable stream of water become about something more than just a few days spent on water. Over time, ‘watering’, the pastime that has developed around water-based tourism in the Czech lands, has taken on a specific culture. On one hand there is the attempt to return to nature, as many riverine stretches offer views one could never enjoy from a roadside stop or a hotel pool. On the other hand, a pastime for which you once needed not only your own boat and paddle, but also a certain amount of skill, has become an activity for everyone: hiring a kayak or a canoe is today a simple matter of a phone call or an email, and instead of fibreglass boats, susceptible to cracks, today’s waterways are full of damage-proof plastic and inflatable boats. And although most ‘watermen’ and ‘waterwomen’ consider sleeping in a tent or under the open sky an essential part of being on the water, today Czech rivers are dotted with campgrounds offering refreshments and cottages. It may appear at times that the romance of water tourism has long gone. Instead of camping in the wild, far from the city and other people, preparing food over a campfire, and pushing one’s boundaries and comfort level, today’s water tourist is more likely to encounter an overcrowded campground that quiets down only before sunrise, because the refreshments stand with beer, spirits and cooked food stays open till late. But even today it is still possible to feel a sense of real adventure when travelling on water. The excitement brought on by a well-navigated weir, the growing confidence with which you manoeuvre between rocks half-hidden under the water, or the satisfaction from a day spent paddling amidst beautiful scenery, these are very powerful emotions. Perhaps that is why Czechs love their rivers!

H ANDB A LL IN SPITE OF ITS FASCINATING COMBINATION OF FAST MOVES AND POWERFUL, PRECISE SHOTS, HANDBALL HAS NEVER ENJOYED GREAT POPULARITY ON THE GLOBAL STAGE. IN CZECHIA, HOWEVER, HANDBALL HAS BECOME SO POPULAR THAT THERE IS EVEN A LOCAL VARIATION OF THE GAME.

Two teams with seven players each: six outfielders and one goalkeeper. A court the size of twenty by forty metres. Two thirty minute half-times. A ball weighing almost half a kilo and small enough to be held by the fingers of one hand and propelled into the opposing team’s goal. Players move with the ball while dribbling or they can take up to three steps for up to three seconds. That is handball in a nutshell - a sport with its roots in ancient Rome, where it was played by women. Historical records speak of games resembling handball played in the Middle Ages in different parts of Europe and among the Inuit people of Greenland. The pivotal shift for handball came towards the end of the 19th century when the game rules were formulated in Scandinavia and Germany. The person credited with codifying the rules was the Danish physical education teacher, soldier and also Olympian athlete Holger Nielsen. At the same time handball began to be played in today’s Czechia, but in a slightly different form, as here the court was divided into three parts. It is for this reason that this form of handball is called ‘Czech handball’ and in Czechia ‘National handball’. The game very quickly became popular in schools and in the Sokol physical education movement. From a pastime that was originally more of a social activity, when ladies played in long skirts and gentlemen in their Sunday best, handball has evolved into an extremely competitive sport with a clear set of rules. The weight of the ball is insignificant yet handball players throw it at great speed, which can near 95 km/hour among the best of them. It is not a game for the faint-hearted. Handball has become a very popular sport in Central Europe, both among men as well as women. When it became an Olympic sport in 1972, Central European teams dominated the field and former Czechoslovakia was among them. Handball has remained very popular in the Czech Republic, and the Czech team is among the world’s top ten.

CYC LING WHILE MANY PEOPLE OF NORTHERN EUROPE HAVE COME TO REGARD THE BICYCLE AS A MEANS OF DAILY TRANSPORT, ON CENTRAL EUROPEAN ROADS YOU ARE MORE LIKELY TO MEET AMATEUR CYCLISTS CLAD IN PROFESSIONAL-LOOKING JERSEYS OUT FOR A WEEKEND RIDE.

On summer weekends Czech roads often look as though a Tour de France or Giro d’Italia cycling group had lost its way. People of all ages wearing close-fitting lycra, bright helmets and dark sunglasses race around on well equipped and carefully maintained bicycles. In some places the same spectacle can be seen on woodland paths or hillside and mountain trails, though instead of thin racing tyres you are likely to run into all terrain bikes with suspension forks. Cycling paths started to appear here in the 1990s and their system now extends over the Czech lands in an ever tightening web. Yellow bike path signs lead you to towns, tourist destinations and places of renown, and connect to bike paths in neighbouring countries. And as if these were not sufficient, thematically orientated cycling paths have begun to emerge in recent years. Thus, for example, you can explore southern Moravia along wine cycle paths that don’t explicitly promote imbibing wine while journeying between bucolic villages and vineyards, but it doesn’t take much to get the idea. And so it is in the rest of Czechia, where bike paths are dotted with kiosks selling refreshing beer. Thankfully our western neighbours figured out long ago how to mix an alcoholic beverage with sweetened water so it will refresh you, cheer you up, but won’t affect your balance. While in Czech villages the bicycle has endured as an important component of public transport, cycling for getting around town is returning only slowly to Czech cities. The uptake thus far has been helped by worldwide interest in ecological forms of transport, and there are now many pressures on city councils to create safe lanes for cyclists sharing the road with cars and buses. But until the enthusiasm of our northern neighbours takes hold in our own backyard, and the image of women in skirts and men in suits riding bikes to work becomes commonplace, Czechs are likely to air out their well equipped bikes only at the weekends or on holidays.

I CE HOC KEY IF YOU WANT TO BRING A GROWN MAN IN ANY CZECH VILLAGE OR TOWN TO TEARS, ASK HIM WHAT ICE HOCKEY FINAL FROM THE PAST TWENTY YEARS IS HIS FAVOURITE. CZECHS REALLY KNOW HOW TO EXPERIENCE THEIR VICTORIES AND DEFEATS.

Ice hockey is without a doubt the most watched sport in any Czech household, and even people who don’t normally follow ice hockey will find their way to the television screen or spectator stands during an important match. The sport’s popularity is directly related to the country’s success in ice hockey on the world stage, which began to grow in the mid 1990s. In 1996 Czech lads on fast skates won the Ice Hockey World Championship title, to be repeated three years in a row in 1999, 2000 and 2001, not to mention the gold medal they secured at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano. It was this period of ice hockey glory that gave rise to the modern tradition of going to a pub to watch a finals match on a large television screen or joining a crowd in a city square in front of a large projection screen. Czech ice hockey has its heroes and gods. These arose from young hopefuls who joined the American professional league NHL after 1989, where they gained great experience and often significant glory. Some of the best known stars of this golden era of Czech ice hockey are the goaltender Dominik Hašek and the right winger Jaromír Jágr. Their sports celebrity status is so great that they regularly appear in advertisements and are sought out for opinions not only on specific games or competition, but also on political issues. It would therefore not be surprising if they decided to get involved in politics. After all, the former national team defenceman Jiří Šlégr has already tried his hands at politics when he served in the Czech Parliament’s Chamber of Deputies for more than two years. The enjoyment of ice hockey is of course not limited to the competitive sphere. The many ponds, lakes and river arms dotting the Czech landscape turn into makeshift ice rinks as soon as heavy frost arrives. Groups of children and adults organise their teams and demarcate goals with piles of shoes or backpacks. In a friendly spirit they then try to shoot the puck into the opposing team’s goal while halfheartedly avoiding ice skaters who prefer the graceful movement of figure skating over the speed and jolt of a hockey stick. The Czech passion for ice hockey guarantees that you’ll hear the mighty cry ‘Gooaaal’ on just about any winter afternoon in any Czech village or town.

WA LKING THE LANDSCAPE OF THE CZECH REPUBLIC IS VERY DIVERSE, AND THIS IS NO DOUBT ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS WHY CZECHS LIKE THEIR WALKING TOURS. ANOTHER WOULD BE THE FACT THAT CZECH FORESTS ARE FOR THE MOST PART FREELY ACCESSIBLE AND THAT EVEN THE COUNTRY’S HIGHEST RANGES CAN BE SCALED WITH REASONABLE EASE.

One more reason for the popularity of walking is that it is fairly easy to find your way when walking in the countryside. This is made possible by a good system of walking trail signs, which has its origins in the 1880s. Signs with two white stripes separated by a single coloured stripe - red, blue, green or yellow - designate a dense network of minor roads and trails over flatlands, through valleys and up mountainsides. You always know where you are on the map and how far you are from the next point of interest - be it a town, monument, crossroads, peak, bridge or lookout point. Czechs become accustomed to this wonderful amenity during their childhood, because part of the school calendar is reserved for stays in nature, where short and long walking tours on marked trails are a welcome escape from the classroom. Volunteer clubs are responsible for keeping the walking trail signs up to date. To qualify as a sign maker, a walking enthusiast has to undergo at a minimum a ten kilometre training walk led by an instructor. Once trained, a sign maker works with a buddy as sign making is too important to entrust to a single individual! The well developed infrastructure makes it very easy to plan and enjoy a walking tour. The trails are well supplied with tourist shops where you can buy wooden tourist plaques to prove that you climbed the mountain from which you posted your selfie on social media. Food is also well catered for along the trails, especially the more frequented ones, and the Czech passion for meat and sausages is evident on all kiosk and restaurant menus. The traditional walker’s idea of good food is a sausage served with a slice of dark bread and mustard, and nothing beats thirst brought on by walking in hot weather like a half-litre of cold beer (although with our German speaking neighbours the Radler - the Bavarian equivalent of a British shandy - is becoming more popular). And for those who prefer to cater their walking tours with homemade sandwiches, there is always the turistický salám [tourist salami].

Michal Bačák Illustrator

Fix!

27. – 31. 10. Designblok

Prague Design and Fashion Week www.designblok.cz Designblok is supported by following institutions: Ministerstvo kultury ČR, EUNIC Cluster CR – European Union National Institutes for Culture, Velvyslanectví Nizozemského království, Velvyslanectví Norského království, Velvyslanectví Estonské republiky, Velvyslanectví Švédska, Velvyslanectví Litevské republiky, Vlámské zastoupení v České republice, Zastoupení Valonsko – Brusel v České republice, Institut Cervantes v Praze, Polský institut v Praze, Bulharský kulturní institut v Praze, Goethe institut v Praze, Italský institut v Praze, Maďarský institut v Praze, Česká centra, městská část Praha 7, Národní muzeum Official Suppliers: KOMA Modular, SIPRAL, Parfumerie Douglas, TONI&GUY, SIPRAL, Veuve Clicquot Diploma Selection / Czech Section support: T-Mobile Czech Republic Media Partners: Architect+, Art+Antiques, CZECHDESIGN, Design&Home, Dolce Vita, elle.cz, ERA21, ELLE Decoration, Flash Art, H.O.M.i.E., Marianne Bydlení, Moje Psychologie, PLAKATOV.CZ, Radio1,SOFFA Foreign media partners: H.O.M.E., H.O.M.i.E., Atrium, Designum Partners:

adidas CzechTourism Deloitte Nespresso Výstaviště Praha Holešovice

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YO U & S O F FA text: Adéla Kudrnová I photo: Instagrammers’ archives

WE ARE HAPPY TO PRESENT THE BEST IMAGES FROM THE #MEANDSOFFA SOCIAL MEDIA CONTEST. MANY OF YOU RESPONDED LAST MONTH TO OUR CALL TO POST YOUR FAVOURITE IMAGES FEATURING THE SOFFA MAGAZINE. WE THANK ALL CONTEST PARTICIPANTS FOR THE WONDERFUL PICTURES!

Photos by these Instagrammers: @the_new_life_beginning, @brutnikita, @littlearzi_cz and @elizakru

E DI TO R S â&#x20AC;&#x2122; C H O I C E The Latest on Summer and Sport

NOV E LTIE S F O R T H E S UM M ER styling: Adéla Kudrnová | photo: company archives

THIS SUMMER GET YOURSELF SOMETHING COLOURFUL AND WHIMSICAL, BUT DON’T PUT IT AWAY AT THE END OF THE SEASON. WHY NOT EXPERIENCE THE RELAXED ATMOSPHERE OF THE SUMMER HOLIDAYS ALL YEAR ROUND?

Raspberry & Thyme NUTE Tea, www.hildur.se, € 13 | Quintessential Serums, www.biologique-recherche.com, from CZK 1 740/ 30 ml | Drupol nr. 21616 lamp, www.talampa.cz, CZK 1 490 | 3-pack storage boxes, www.hm.com, CZK 599 | Professio Limited notebooks, www.papelote.cz, CZK 208 each | Milà chair, Magis, www.finnishdesignshop.com, € 175 | Avonturiers tile, www.storytiles.nl, from € 25

DOING SPORT IS A JOY. WHETHER YOU ARE A TOP HOCKEY PLAYER, LIKE TO RUN IN YOUR FREE TIME OR PERHAPS RIDE YOUR BIKE TO WORK, IT ALWAYS FEELS GOOD TO DO SPORT.

styling: Adéla Kudrnová | photo: company archives

WE LOVE SPO RT!

Tokyobike Bisou, www.urbane.cz, CZK 18 900 | Asante Bamboo Bike, www.asantebikes.com, £ 1 100 | Nike+ Training Club app, www.nike.com, free to download | Flyer Aged saddle, www.brooksengland.com, € 115 | Raincoat, RAINS, www.zoot.cz, CZK 2 199 | Blaze smart fitness watch, www.fitbit.com, € 115 | Heart bike holder, www.hangbike.com, price upon request | Standard mouth 21oz hydro flask, www.hydroflask.com, € 32.95 | Twotone tights, www.wemove.cz, CZK 1 750 | Aurora Borealis women’s sports singlet, www.synvpohybu.cz, CZK 1 280 | Layana ladies’ bike, www.kettler.cz, CZK 19 990

NIKE.COM/RUNNING

FA S H I O N Designer / Sport

“WHAT WE D O, W H EN W E J US T DO I T ! ” partner for the article: Nike | concept and text: Yasmin Keshmiri Hejduk styling: Patrik Florián | make-up: Tereza Hrdličková | hair: Tomáš Koblása photo: Tereza Červinková | models: Romana Chudá / SCOUTEEN Tereza Marie Valtová / PURE, Matěj Paprčiak / PURE

IS SPORT ABOUT FITNESS OR STYLE? WHAT COUNTS FOR MORE THESE DAYS: HOW MANY REPS YOU CAN DO OR HOW GOOD YOU LOOK WHEN DOING THEM? SPORT HAS EXPLODED IN RECENT YEARS, TAKING OVER NOT ONLY OUR SOCIAL MEDIA BUT ALSO OUR WARDROBE. IN THIS FASHION EDITORIAL WE TAKE A LOOK AT HOW SPORT BECOMES FASHION AND FASHION BECOMES SPORT. They jump onto your screen every time you scan Instagram or Snapchat. Endless images of fit, toned bodies as seen through gym or bathroom mirrors. Imposing selfies that get under your skin with the before and after achievements, showing off hotties with their downright blessed bodies. We are the crew that own it. We know that getting fit is all about image, attitude and how to look good while making as little effort as possible. Style is the key to our success, mixing sports luxe apparel with designer labels, adding essential accessories, working on our wardrobe to get a workout. The sport of choice determines the mood - bad boy or girlie? Sleek or vampish? Day or night? We are young and we rock this look. If you don’t believe us just check how many followers we have, yeah? Just do it! ■ All sportswear provided by Nike. We thank Anastasia Zvonova and Makovka (the kitten), Zach Harrod and Prague Lions for lending us the American football uniform, and Radlická – kulturní sportovna [Radlicka Culture and Sports Club] for lending us sports equipment.

RUNNING: kimono, vintage sportswear, Nike PÉTANQUE: dress, Zuzana Kubíčková sportswear, Nike sunglasses and earrings, Dior pétanque set, Hermès belt, stylist’s own

TENNIS: skirt, La Formela sportswear, Nike SKATEBOARDING: jacket, Dolce&Gabbana ring, Louis Vuitton sportswear, Nike

AMERICAN FOOTBALL: sportswear, Nike earrings, Louis Vuitton

BASKETBALL: coat, Zuzana Kubíčková handbag, necklace/chain and iPhone 6 case, all Dior jacket, Dolce&Gabbana

jacket, ODIVI bag/knapsack: ALEXMONHART key holder and sunglasses, Louis Vuitton sportswear, Nike

CROSSFIT: trousers and jacket, Dior sportswear, Nike BOXING: swimsuit, Dolce&Gabbana belt, La Formela necklace/chain, Dior sportswear, Nike

TONY ADAM’S BARBERSHOP TONY ADAM’S IS THE LATEST ADDITION TO THE BARBER SCENE IN PRAGUE. LOCATED IN VINOHRADY, AT JIŘÍHO Z PODĚBRAD SQUARE, THEIR AMBITIONS ARE SET HIGH. SPACIOUS, LIGHT, INDUSTRIAL. MIX OF MODERNISM AND TRADITION. DESIGNED BY RENOWNED INTERIOR ARCHITECTS, STUDIO OOOOX. CONCRETE, GLASS AND WOOD.

TONY ADAM’S DOESN’T CARE WHO YOU ARE. BE YOURSELF. www.tonyadams.cz

CR EAT I V E PEO PL E Hookie Co.

L E T’ S PL AY H O O K I E text: Patrik Florián | styling: SOFFA | photo: Adéla Havelková

TO MOVE FROM GRAPHIC DESIGN TO DESIGNING REALITY. TO EXCHANGE AN OFFICE FOR A GARAGE, A COMPUTER FOR A SPANNER. TO BE ABLE TO SEE AT THE END OF A DAY THE RESULTS OF YOUR TIRELESS WORK, FROM MORNING TO NIGHT AND SOMETIMES NIGHT TO MORNING. TO GET DIRTY WHILE FULFILLING YOUR DREAMS. TO LIVE AND ENJOY LIFE. TO BE FREE TO SCALE OBSTACLES AND CHALLENGE YOUR IMAGINATION. TO PAUSE, TAKE A BREAK, DRINK GOOD COFFEE AND THEN CONTINUE. TO DO WHAT YOU LOVE AND TO DO IT NOW. AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, TO SLOW DOWN AND ENJOY THAT WHICH MATTERS. Do you know coffee riders? Energised by coffee and their heads in the clouds, they ride merrily across the globe. But speed is not what matters to them, because there is no reason to hurry. What matters most is savouring each moment to its fullest. And what does a cruising coffee lover need? Passion for travel, good coffee, a real machine and a bit of hookie spirit! You can find all of this in one industrial garage in Dresden, where Nico and his family and friends have created a unique space with an atmosphere to match. Old motorcycles with their own, often forgotten histories come back to life here, kitted out with a whole new look and modern technology to boot. Each motorcycle that arrives in ► LEFT: ‘Enjoy the Good’ – motto that graces not only the motorcycle workshop and all Hookie products but is also a kind of mantra for Nico and his family. And everyone who has a chance to visit the Hookie Co. workshop in Dresden knows that Nico and Sylvia mean it. This machine belongs to their photographer David, and has been standing in this spot for a few years now.

Nico’s garage gets transformed into a completely new machine, though its soul remains the same. Good old classic components get cleaned up and returned to their rightful place. The rest goes to the scrap metal yard, to be replaced by lean parts from all corners of the globe. CHANGE IS LIFE AND LIFE IS ABOUT CHANGE. Nico and his wife Sylvia are graphic designers by profession. While Nico still designs, he now focuses on things with two wheels. The couple was not afraid to follow their dreams and get a bit dirty along the way. As a self-learner Nico taught himself how to pull apart a motor into its smallest components, clean them, and then put them all back together. But it wasn’t until he had successfully redesigned several machines that he himself learned how to ride and bought his own Harley. Today the bike couldn’t carry the whole family – a baby carriage is parked next to the bike and the sound of a young mechanic’s pitter patter echoes through the garage. ‘I LOVE EVERY PART OF THE PROCESS, FROM THE FIRST SKETCH TO THE FINAL RIDE.’ When asked what part of the motorcycle rebuilding process he likes the most, Nico gives a clear answer. Everything from the original sketch and design, to pulling an old bike apart and putting it back together again, to the satisfying ride on a new motorcycle. Perhaps the only thing he doesn’t like is having to say goodbye at the end. Thankfully there is always a new project just around the corner and so ► RIGHT: Although part of the garage is also a café that serves excellent coffee, it is still primarily a workshop filled with tools, spare parts and scrap intended for the metal yard. This way visitors can enjoy a great cup of coffee while admiring the raw machines. Hookie Co. is more than just high-end custom motorcycles. It’s a philosophy of life that is inseparable from family, friends and the gang getting together for a cinema evening in the garage or a ride in search of adventures.

‘I LOVE EACH STEP OF THE PROCESS – FROM THE FIRST SKETCH TO REASSEMBLING THE VEHICLE TO THE FINAL TEST RIDE. PROBABLY THE WORST PART IS HAVING TO SAY GOODBYE. BUT THANKFULLY THERE’S ALWAYS A NEW PROJECT ON LINE AND LOTS OF NEW IDEAS.‘

THE CHARACTER OF THE CLIENT DICTATES THE CHARACTER OF THE MOTORCYCLE. EACH MACHINE IS ENTIRELY UNIQUE AND MATCHES COMPLETELY THE STYLE AND REQUIREMENTS OF ITS OWNER. WITH EVERY NEW CUSTOMER COMES A NEW CONCEPT, NEW JOURNEY AND NEW ADVENTURE.

Nico can constantly play with new ideas, whether for a custom order or for his own collection. Should the next bike be a subdued or a sporty type? And what about trying something completely new? Each year Hookie creates about eight entirely unique motorcycles that follow no rules other than their own. The production time for one motorcycle is about two to three months, and the most difficult part is searching for the right spare parts. Nico and Sylvia want to have more than a space that gives birth to modern vintage machines; they want to be surrounded by a community of friends and motorcycle lovers who enjoy getting together and living out their Hookie adventures. To host film evenings or saddle up their perfect machines and go on a fishing trip. The workshop is a destination for fans not only from Dresden but also the rest of Germany. And their family of friends is also growing in other parts of the world, as their quality precision work, combined with professional design, has caught the attention of customers from all over the world. SLOW DOWN AND ENJOY THE GOOD The owners’ graphic design roots are behind a collection of products that will come in handy on a ride or when you simply want to play hookie. What they don’t want is hurry and stress, because there is no reason to hurry anywhere. To them it is important to slow down, look around and think about what really matters, and most of all, to enjoy the good! Learn more at www.hookie.co ■

LEFT AND NEXT PAGE: Nico’s first baby, proudly parked in the centre of the workshop and awaiting new adventures! Hookie Co.’s first collection SLOW DOWN includes not only motorcycle design but also a helmet, t-shirts, an album, different types of teas and other gadgets guaranteed to help you enjoy the good.

WHAT IS HOOKIE? ‘DO WHAT YOU WANT TO DO AND DO IT NOW. GO OUT AND PLAY HOOKIE. THAT IS OUR PHILOSOPHY.’

S O M ATOT Y PES The Body of Sport

SP O R T V E RS US B O DY T Y PES text: Zuzana Kovářová | illustration: Daria Arzamasova

HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT ABOUT WHY YOU MIGHT BE GOOD AT ONE SPORT BUT NOT AT ANOTHER? THE ANSWER MAY LIE IN YOUR SOMATOTYPE, WHICH CAN INDICATE THE KIND OF SPORT FOR WHICH YOU ARE BEST SUITED. INTRIGUED? IN THE FOLLOWING PAGES WE HAVE PREPARED AN OVERVIEW OF THE THREE BASIC SOMATOTYPES AND FIVE OLYMPIC SPORTS THAT CLEARLY SHOW KEY DIFFERENCES IN THE BODY TYPES OF ELITE ATHLETES. YOU CAN VALIDATE THIS THEORY FOR YOURSELF WHILE WATCHING THE PERFORMANCE OF CZECH OLYMPIANS AT THE RIO OLYMPICS. Every person has their own body build and body shape, but we can observe common features within groups of individuals. One way to categorise human bodies, and more specifically the bodies of athletes, is with the classification scheme of somatotypes developed by the American psychologist William Sheldon in the 1940s. Sheldon’s somatotypes are divided into three generalised body types: ectomorphic (tall slim figure), endomorphic (short rounded figure) and mesomorphic (muscular athletic figure). Don’t fret if you don’t fit neatly into one of these descriptions, because every person has elements of all three body types in their bodily makeup - no one is simply an endomorph or a mesomorph. But how much of each of the three body types people have varies greatly within a population. Some individuals, especially athletes, will by their nature be strong mesomorphs with few ecto- or endomorphic features. A person’s specific somatotype is determined through genetics, and while the fundamentals cannot be changed, intense physical activity as well as nutrition can influence a person’s body build and shape throughout their life. It also stands to order that different somatotype combinations are suited to different sports activities, as we explore further in our focus on five Olympic sports disciplines. ►

T HE T HR E E G EN ER A L B O DY T Y PES ECTOMORPH An ectomorphic person is slender and tall with a narrow body and thin arms and legs. Ectomorphs tend to expend a lot of energy, which allows them to consume many calories without gaining weight. They find it difficult to build up muscle mass but they also have few fat cells. Their bodies tend to stay slender and well defined into old age. Athletes with a strong ectomorphic component are built for endurance sports and are typically represented among basketball players and long distance runners.

ENDOMORPH An endomorphic person is typically stocky with a large round body. Endomorphs have the potential to build up muscle mass, but they also have the tendency to store body fat, which they lose with great difficulty. They have an increased risk for obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Athletes with a strong endomorphic component are well suited for strength sports like wrestling. A sumo wrestler is a classic athlete with strong endomorphic characteristics.

MESOMORPH With a pronounced muscular definition, a person with a prevailing mesomorphic body type is a natural athlete. A mesomorphic person is strongly built with a muscular chest, broad shoulders and narrow hips. Mesomorphs have little body fat and build muscle mass easily. Athletes with a strong mesomorphic component are well suited for body building, gymnastics and sprint. â&#x2013;

HIGH JUMP PERFORMANCE IN A HIGH JUMP DEMANDS SPEED, STRENGTH AND GREAT COORDINATION, BUT AN INDIVIDUAL’S SOMATOTYPE ALSO PLAYS A ROLE: A HIGH JUMPER IS USUALLY TALL, WITH LONG LIMBS, LOW BODY WEIGHT AND AN ECTO-MESOMORPHIC BODY BUILD. TYPICAL PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS INCLUDE LONG LEGS WHICH RAISE THE BODY’S CENTRE OF GRAVITY AND SERVE AS LEVERS FOR TAKEOFF. THE HIGH JUMP TAKEOFF ENGAGES THE EXTENSOR MUSCLES OF THE HIP AND KNEE JOINTS AND THE PLANTAR FLEXOR OF THE ANKLE JOINT, AND THE FLIGHT STAGE ENGAGES THE HIP FLEXORS. THE TRUNK EXTENSORS PLAY A KEY ROLE IN ENSURING THAT THE BACK ARCHES SUFFICIENTLY WHEN CLEARING THE BAR. Now you know what to look for when you watch Jaroslav Bába and Michaela Hrubá represent the Czech Republic in the high jump at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

SHOT PUT EXPLOSIVE STRENGTH AND COORDINATION ARE THE TWO MOST IMPORTANT ELEMENTS CONTRIBUTING TO AN ATHLETE’S PERFORMANCE IN A SHOT PUT. SHOT PUTTERS ARE AMONG THE STRONGEST AND HEAVIEST OF ALL ATHLETES. THEY TEND TO BE MORE ROBUST MESOMORPHIC TYPES WITH A HIGH ENDOMORPHIC VALUE AND A BMI OF 32 KG/M2. A SHOT PUT ENGAGES THE MUSCLES OF THE LOWER LIMBS, PRIMARILY THE HIP AND KNEE EXTENSORS AND THE PLANTAR FLEXOR OF THE ANKLE JOINT. THE THROW PHASE ENGAGES THE FLEXORS OF THE ELBOW, WRIST AND FINGERS. Tomáš Staněk will represent the Czech Republic in the shot put competition at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. Look out for his form.

SPRINT SPRINTERS ARE MESOMORPHS WITH A SLIGHT ECTOMORPHIC COMPONENT, AND THEIR MOST IMPORTANT PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTE IS THE APPROPRIATE AMOUNT OF MUSCLE MASS FOR SIZE AND WEIGHT. HEIGHT IS NOT VERY IMPORTANT, THOUGH GREATER HEIGHT IS AN ADVANTAGE IN HURDLING. A SPRINTER WHO IS NOT VERY TALL BUT HAS FAST REACTION TIME AND GOOD NEUROMUSCULAR COORDINATION HAS AN ADVANTAGE ON SHORTER DISTANCES. TALLER SPRINTERS MAY TAKE LONGER TO GET STARTED, BUT THEIR GREATER STRIDE IS AN ADVANTAGE WHEN RUNNING A 200 METRE SPRINT. SPRINTING REQUIRES COMPLEX COORDINATION OF KEY MUSCLE GROUPS, PRIMARILY THE ABDOMINALS, THE GLUTEUS MAXIMUS, THE QUADRICEPS, IN PARTICULAR THE RECTUS FEMORIS AND THE VASTUS MEDIALIS, THE BICEPS FEMORIS, THE GASTROCNEMIUS MUSCLE, THE TIBIALIS ANTERIOR MUSCLE AND THE SOLEUS MUSCLE. Pavel Maslรกk and Zuzana Hejnovรก will sprint for the Czech Republic at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. See if you can observe the mesomorph in their body types.

SWIMMING A TYPICAL SWIMMER IS A DOMINANT MESOMORPH WITH BROAD SHOULDERS AND LONG ARMS, BUT THERE ARE GREAT DIFFERENCES IN SWIMMERS’ BODY TYPES BASED ON SPECIFIC SWIMMING DISCIPLINES. FREESTYLE SPRINTERS TEND TO BE TALLER WITH SHORTER OVERALL ARM LENGTH, LONGER FOREARMS AND LONGER LEGS. BACKSTROKE SWIMMERS HAVE A LONG TORSO AND SHORTER LEGS, WHILE BUTTERFLY SWIMMERS HAVE THE LONGEST ARM SPREAD. BREASTSTROKE SWIMMERS TEND TO HAVE POWERFUL THIGHS AND THE MOST DEVELOPED MUSCLES ON THE UPPER BODY, AND THEY TEND TO BE SHORTER IN STATURE. THE MUSCLES THAT WORK THE HARDEST IN SWIMMING ARE THOSE THAT WORK AGAINST WATER RESISTANCE. ON THE ARMS THIS INVOLVES MUSCLES SUCH AS THE PECTORALIS MAJOR, THE LATISSIMUS DORSI, THE DELTOID MUSCLE, THE BICEPS, THE BRACHIALIS, THE TRICEPS BRACHII AND THE FLEXOR CARPI. LEG WORK IS DONE BY MUSCLES OF THE BUTTOCKS, HAMSTRINGS AND KNEE EXTENSORS (ILIOPSOAS, RECTUS FEMORIS AND QUADRICEPS). THE LEVEL OF ENGAGEMENT OF THE VARIOUS MUSCLE GROUPS DEPENDS ON THE SPECIFIC SWIMMING STYLE. Simona Baumrtová and Barbora Závadová will be part of the swimming team representing the Czech Republic at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. We hope their body proportions give them the edge over their competitors.

MOUNTAIN BIKE RACING A CYCLIST’S MUSCLE MASS IS CONCENTRATED PRIMARILY IN THE LOWER LIMBS AND INCREASES WITH GREATER EFFICIENCY DURING PERFORMANCE. CYCLISTS WITH A DOMINANT MESOMORPHIC COMPONENT TEND TO HAVE LONG LIMBS ON A BODY OF MEDIUM HEIGHT, LARGE CHEST CIRCUMFERENCE, THIGHS THAT ARE LONG IN RELATION TO THEIR SHINS, STRONG FOOT ARCHES AND DISTINCT MUSCLE CONTOURS. THEIR BODY FAT AND WEIGHT ARE GENERALLY LOW IN RELATION TO THEIR HEIGHT. CYCLISTS WITH A WELL DEVELOPED MUSCULATURE TEND TO PEDAL WITH GREATER FORCE AND ON HIGHER GEARS. IN CONTRAST, CYCLISTS WITH A STRONG ECTOMORPHIC COMPONENT TEND TO FAVOUR LOWER GEARS WITH HIGHER FREQUENCY OF PEDALLING. THE PRESSURE EXERTED ONTO A BIKE PEDAL EXTENDS THE HIP JOINTS, WHICH SUPPORT THE GLUTAEUS MAXIMUS AND THE HAMSTRINGS, WHILE THE QUADRICEPS EXTEND THE KNEE JOINTS. PLANTAR FLEXION OF THE ANKLES IS SECURED BY THE TRICEPS SURAE. THE LIFT OF THE PEDALS IS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE FLEXORS OF THE HIP JOINTS, THE ILIOPSOAS AND THE RECTUS FEMORIS, AND THE FLEXORS OF THE KNEE JOINTS. ON THE UPPER LIMBS CYCLING ACTION CONTRACTS THE TRICEPS BRACHII MUSCLES AND AN OFF THE SADDLE RIDE ALSO CONTRACTS THE BICEPS BRACHII MUSCLES. The mountain bikers Jaroslav Kulhavý, Ondřej Cink and Kateřina Nash will be flexing their flexors for the Czech Republic at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Let’s travel from neverwhere to everywhere photo: Paweł Błęcki | www.pawelblecki.com

T R AV EL Leipzig

GE R MANY ‘ S N E W CR E ATIV E CAP ITAL text: Patrik Florián styling: SOFFA | photo: Adéla Havelková

THANKS TO ITS PLAYFUL AND YOUTHFUL ATMOSPHERE LEIPZIG HAS RECENTLY GAINED THE MONIKER HYPEZIG. WHAT IS IT ABOUT THE LARGEST CITY OF SAXONY, NAMED AFTER THE LINDEN TREE, THAT ENTICES CREATIVE SPIRITS FROM ALL CORNERS OF THE WORLD? LURED BY WHISPERS ABOUT GERMANY’S PARADISE FOR LOVERS OF HISTORY, ARCHITECTURE, NATURE AND LITERATURE, BUT ESPECIALLY THE FABULOUS FOOD, ART AND INDUSTRIAL DESIGN, WE DECIDED TO SEE IT FOR OURSELVES. Leipzig is the largest city of the federal state of Saxony and with its growing population also one of the ten largest cities in Germany. Situated at the intersection of trade routes that go back to the Roman Empire, its great trade potential is to this day evident in the Leipzig Trade Fair, which traces its origins to the 12th century. Leipzig also has deep roots in book publishing and music, although these creative industries were interrupted after the Second World War with the establishment of the Eastern Bloc. Over the past decade the city of heros has been experiencing a ►

RIGHT: The Museum der bildenden Künste [Museum of Fine Arts] has been Leipzig’s centre of fine arts for more than 150 years. The museum building is unique not only for its magnificent art collection but also the architecture. The interior of the thirty-six metres high glass cube blends decorative concrete and oak to create a stunning gallery space. One of the largest ceiling paintings in Germany overlooks the museum café, where you can enjoy an excellent coffee under the gaze of the equally impressive statue of David. NEXT PAGE: Founded in 1409 and modelled on Prague’s Charles University, Leipzig University is one of the main symbols of the city thanks to its marvellous modern architecture, which has gracefully honoured historical buildings such as the University Church St. Paul.

ABOVE: Hostel Ost-Apotheke is an ideal place to recharge your batteries and take in the industrial and creative atmosphere of the city. Whether over a communal breakfast or in the hostelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s courtyard, you will meet countless musicians, painters, woodworkers, philosophers and various entrepreneurial types. You are guaranteed to make new friends here and to hear some incredible stories from all around the world. More at www.ost-apotheke.org

THIS SPREAD: The Neuschönefeld part of Leipzig is a former - or perhaps still current - punk area with some of the trendiest spots in the city. But you won’t find them listed on any tourist map. The only way there, just as to the local jazz club hidden in a greengrocer’s courtyard, is by word of mouth.

ABOVE AND RIGHT: If you are game for an adventure and like surprises, Leipzig wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t disappoint. The city offers many unexpected, magical places - you simply have to be willing to explore. One place that left a great impression on us was the vast Goldstein&Co warehouse and workshop housing a spectacular collection of antiques.

great cultural boom and the so-called ‘small Berlin’, with its relatively affordable living, has become a Mecca for creative spirits from all over the world. Although the old city centre is very inviting, with the stunning architecture of the university grounds, the Leipzig Opera, the enchanting Saint Nicholas Church and the City-Hochhaus, Leipzig’s tallest building, we recommend that you first head to the west of the city – the industrial and culturally most interesting area known as Plagwitz. Rows of former factories that have been reborn as galleries and artist studios mingle with shops selling antiques as well as contemporary design. We recommend you start with breakfast in one of the local cafes on Karl-Heine-Straße [street], and then follow it up with a visit to Kunstkraftwerk, a unique centre of experimental art that emerged from the grounds of a former power station. For lunch enjoy the best falafel or halloumi kebab on Zschochersche Straße [street] and once refreshed, continue to Leipzig’s centre of cultural transformation – the former cotton factory Spinnerei transformed into a gallery and exhibition space. Young people say that in Leipzig everything is possible, and for Plagwitz this is doubly true. ►

LEFT: Although meat shops and eateries are an age-old tradition in Leipzig, you won’t find meat or even ham on the menu of Café Fleischerei [Café at the Butcher’s]. Today you will be served by a bearded barista instead of a butcher, and enjoy an excellent coffee and a tasty homemade treat to the sound of ‘chill music’. NEXT PAGE: After more than 125 years as the largest cotton factory in the whole of continental Europe, the Spinnerei has been transformed into Leipzig’s culture and arts centre. Today the former factory complex houses dozens of galleries, printing workshops, creative studios and various other artistic souls.

ABOVE: Hire a kayak or a canoe and travel along the Karl-Heine-Kanal to the woodland found in the centre of the city.

ABOVE: Karl-Heine-StraĂ&#x;e is the centre of Plagwitz, the main artistic haven of Leipzig. Come for a coffee, lunch, vegan ice cream or to buy some old-school books and vinyl records.

Recycling, upcycling and industrial architecture are all the rage, so if you want to surprise with something innovative, you have to have great ideas and courage to match. But these are not in short supply among the creatives and entrepreneurs who call Leipzig their home. Discovering a city full of exciting new places is best done with a local guide. You can find an excellent guide at the hostel Ost-Apotheke, where you can also relax after a day of sightseeing and make new friends from all around the world amidst a treasure trove of restored furniture. Once you have had enough of formerly abandoned brick buildings, take a boat ride to a woodland found in the middle of the city. Enthusiasts of sport and outdoor activities will be impressed by Leipzig’s cycling paths, parks and the nearby system of lakes created when disused coal mines were flooded. These sanctuaries of serenity are lined by sandy beaches and great spots for swimming, diving and many other water sports. Whether you travel in search of history, culture, art, music, festivals or sport, you will find it all in Leipzig. But beware. A long weekend stay may not be enough, because the refreshing beer enjoyed under the shade of a linden tree, or the excellent double espresso and delicious vegan cake you ordered with your late breakfast before departure is sure to make you want to stay longer. So add a few extra days to your trip. Learn more about Leipzig at www.leipzig.de and www.leipzig.travel ■

PREVIOUS PAGE: Kunstkraftwerk is an obvious stop on a journey to discover Leipzig’s local art scene. The industrial site of a former power station is an excellent venue for world-class experimental exhibitions and installations and for all sorts of exciting events. If you visit before November, you can see the exhibition Illusion, which is guaranteed to challenge your perception of what is real.

ABOVE: The lake Kulkwitzer See, one of several lakes created over a former coal mine, has become a nature oasis close to the city. The lake is an ideal place for a summer dip, a picnic on the beach or camping. The depth of the former mine also makes it an excellent spot for diving.

THIS SPREAD: BMW Werk [Plant] Leipzig - one of the most sustainable automobile plants in the world, located on the outskirts of Leipzig. Designed by the iconic architect Zaha Hadid, BMWâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s central offices present a whole new take on the traditional office space.

OUR TIPS FOR OTHER PLACES IN LEIPZIG YOU SHOULD DEFINITELY NOT MISS:

KARTOFFEL FRÄULEIN Karl-Heine Straße 68

SOFTEISBUDE | 1 Karl-Heine Straße 68

MADAME KÄTHE | 3 Karl-Heine Straße 68

Savour the best baked potatoes with the most scrumptious fillings in all of Saxony.

The ideal stop for a scoop of vegan ice cream and excellent coffee.

The most adorable hair salon in all of Leipzig.

HANDBROTZEIT Nikolaistraße 12

HAFEN | 2 Merseburger Straße 38

CAFÉ KATER | 4 Rudolph-Sack-Straße 2

Delicious homemade bread filled with regional products and raw ingredients.

A cute contemporary design shop from which you are unlikely to leave empty handed.

Enjoy an iced espresso in the charming interior or on their sunny terrace.

More Than Art  Art. Science. Education. Events Saalfelder Straße 8b  04179 Leipzig www.kunstkraftwerk-leipzig.com

W I N A WEEKEND HIRE OF T HE CIT Y BIC YC LE TOKYOBIKE! Win the hire of a tokyobike city bike for a weekend! Connect through Instagram @urbane_tokyobike_ premium_store and write to us at info@soffamag. com (subject: tokyobike) to tell us where you would go for your first ride on the tokyobike city bike. The most interesting response wins! For complete contest rules go to www.soffamag.com

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U N I Q U E I N T ER I O R S Two Residences Ruled by Men

BE L É TAG E A PA R TM EN T text: Tereza Gladišová | production: Kristina Raderschad photo: Christian Schaulin

SINCE YOU ARE HOLDING THE SPORTS ISSUE OF SOFFA IN YOUR HANDS, YOU MAY BE EXPECTING TO READ ABOUT THE FLAT OF A FAMOUS ATHLETE OR THE INTERIOR OF A BOUTIQUE SPECIALISING IN SPORTS ATTIRE. INSTEAD WE BRING YOU THE BEAUTIFUL INTERIOR OF THE MUNICH APARTMENT OWNED BY THE GERMAN ARCHITECT SASCHA ARNOLD. WHILE AT FIRST GLANCE THERE SEEMS TO BE LITTLE CONNECTION TO SPORT, A CLOSER LOOK MAKES THINGS MORE CLEAR. ARCHITECTURE TODAY IS A VERY COMPETITIVE FIELD REQUIRING YEARS OF STUDY, ONGOING SELF-DEVELOPMENT AND AN EYE FOR THE LATEST DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY TRENDS. IN SHORT, JUST LIKE ELITE ATHLETES, ARCHITECTS MUST TRAIN HARD TO KEEP AHEAD OF THE COMPETITION. JOIN US ON A VISIT TO THE DAILY TRAINING GROUND FOR ONE OF THE FOREMOST PLAYERS ON THE MUNICH ARCHITECTURE SCENE. The spacious 100 square metre apartment that has been Sascha’s home for the past five years is located in Munich’s Schwabing neighbourhood, an area known for its rich cultural history. Towards the end of the 19th century Munich, and particularly the area of Schwabing, became one of the most important centres of the Art Nouveau movement, known in ► READING CORNER: The chair Kilim by DANTE GOODS & BADS is the main feature of the living room. The designer duo Aylin Langreuter and Christophe de la Fontaine are the creators behind this brand, and they and Sascha Arnold often collaborate. Recently they worked together on designing a room for the Flushing Meadows Hotel in Munich’s Glockenbach neighbourhood.

LIVING ROOM: Thanks to its high ceilings and tall windows the apartment is very spacious and light, yet one does not feel dwarfed by the space. Sascha’s ability to combine furniture, colours and works of art creates a space that is cosy in spite of its size.

Germany as Jugendstil. As a result, Schwabing offers its residents a pleasant living environment abound with gorgeous Art Nouveau architecture. This was key when Sascha searched for the ‘right’ apartment: ‘I looked for nearly half a year for such special place, and then a friend showed me this apartment. I like the neighbourhood because it’s very calm and not many things have changed since the 1980’s. I always say Schwabing is like old West Berlin (Charlottenburg) or Hamburg,’ explains Sascha. Sascha’s choice of apartment is clear when you visit his ‘special place’. It is found in an Art Nouveau building from 1905 and specifically on the level known as Bel Étage or Piano Nobile. The term - used in architectural nomenclature relating to European Renaissance and Baroque city palaces - designates Bel Étage as the most important level of a building, comprising large living quarters and grand spaces for formal ceremonies and entertainment. Apartments found in Bel Étage spaces that have not undergone drastic renovation tend to be spacious and light. Sascha’s apartment displays original large windows, 3.5 metre high ceilings and its own separate entry via a staircase! It is not difficult to image that this place hosted jubilant parties for famous Jugendstil artists who lived and worked in this neighbourhood at the turn of the 20th century. Since Sascha makes a living as an architect, we were interested to learn how he approached planning and furnishing his own space - whether he considered each room individually, and whether he perceived ►

ARCHITECT SASCHA ARNOLD IN HIS DINING ROOM: The architect’s personal style speaks through ever-present works of art, which in combination with designer furniture create a highly distinctive atmosphere. ‘I think it’s important that an interior grows in an organic way, and objects are continuously added in a lively, cosy mix’, says the owner.

DINING ROOM AND KITCHEN: The kitchen and dining area combine in one common space, which you enter from the living room through a double door. As in all other rooms the ceilings are high and the walls offer ample space for creative decoration on many levels. Once again the architect has skilfully combined vintage and modern pieces - for example, the reupholstered 1950s chairs from the Austrian architect Roland Rainer and the armchair from the Brazilian architect and designer Sergio Rodrigues.

BEDROOM: Sascha’s apartment also features unique handmade accessories. The elegant bedroom is complemented by a ceiling light with a handmade light shade.

the current look of the apartment to be final. ‘In my mind I always have a master plan, depending on where the place is and also depending on its history. It’s always a work in progress; if you finish a project very quickly it often looks like a ‘sterile’ showroom,’ says the architect.

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Art plays an enormous role in Sascha’s own interior space as well as in his projects for clients, and each room of the apartment has at least one work of art. ‘Most of the artwork is from the Art Academy around the corner. We often have site specific art in our gastronomy projects, and it would be great to have site specific art at home, but it is a question of money’, elaborates Sascha. You will often find him attending alumni exhibitions at the Munich Academy of Fine Arts searching for compelling artwork by recent graduates. We like how Sascha combines various artistic styles and media, which guarantees that neither he nor his visitors will feel as though they are spending time in a shiny, lifeless showroom. The apartment exudes a relaxed atmosphere accentuated by his eclectic art collection, vintage items, his own designs, such as the kitchen furniture, as well as contemporary furniture from the brands ClassiCon, Paola Lenti, Kinnasand, Vola, Kvadrat and Vitra. And although Sascha’s main ‘sport’ discipline is the design of gastronomic, hotel and other public spaces, we would be the first to have him design a private flat for us. Learn more at www.arnold-werner.com. ■

Galerie Rudolfinum Alšovo nábřeží 12 CZ 110 00 Prague 1

FILM JAKO UMĚNÍ

LONI V MARIENBADU www.galerierudolfinum.cz

A FILM AS ART

Díky / Thanks to Nadační fond AVAST Mediální partneři / Media partners Generální partner / General partner

Alberto Giacometti, Cindy Sherman, Ján Mančuška, Jeff Koons, Giorgio de Chirico, Bruce Nauman, René Magritte, Marie Harnett, Alex Katz, Gerhard Richter, Douglas Gordon, Karl Lagerfeld …

vstup zdarma / free entry

©Georges Pierre. Last Year in Marienbad, detail. 1960. Collection of the Austrian Film Museum, Vienna.

08/09—27/11/2016

LAST YEAR IN MARIENBAD Exhibition organized by Kunsthalle Bremen in collaboration with Galerie Rudolfinum, Prague.

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THE LOFT IS OFTEN THE SAD FORGOTTEN SPACE IN A HOUSE, COLLECTING LAYERS OF DUST, PREFERABLY UNVISITED. BUT SOME LOFTS ARE SPARED THE FATE OF OBLIVION, SUCH AS THE LIBEREC LOFT THAT WAS TRANSFORMED INTO A BEAUTIFUL, LIGHT-FILLED FLAT IN A RENOVATION LED BY LUKÁŠ HOLUB AND JAN VONDRÁK FROM STUDIO MJÖLK ARCHITECTS. WE TRAVELLED TO LIBEREC TO MEET THE ARCHITECTS IN THE LOFT OF A VILLA FROM THE PERIOD OF THE FIRST CZECHOSLOVAK REPUBLIC, WHERE WE ALSO CAUGHT UP WITH THE VILLA’S OWNERS. The villa neighbourhood situated above the botanic gardens is one of the most beautiful of Liberec neighbourhoods, and it is here that the 1914 villa with the renovated loft has its address. Its owners – the entrepreneurs Michal and Petr – had decided to renovate the loft space and convert it into a bright, sunlit flat, and Lukáš and Jan from Studio Mjölk architects took the project on in 2012. ► LEFT: The renovation has retained characteristic elements of a loft space, in particular the exposed beams, which were painted white to make the space more open and light. The neutral tone of the sofa Otto by the company Sits has a delicate feel that matches delightfully with the restored legendary chair by Halabala. The light fixtures by the Czech company Brokis dominate, and are complemented by the large hanging ceiling light called Shadows from the design duo Lucie Koldová and Dan Yeffet, which stretches among the beams like a giant spider. Lucie Koldová is also the creator of the Balloon lamps, which adorn one of the corners of the room. The wooden coffee table Secret, also by the company Sits, has a secret hiding space under the sliding top.

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LEFT: The dining table and chairs Ironica by TON are additional examples of Czech interior design. Almost everything in the flat was custom-made, with the kitchen cabinetry being the most exacting. The metal handrail around the stairs incorporates a unique system of switches as well as fine woodwork details.

RIGHT: The small wood stove is also unusual, as it is uncommon for a stove to have a flue connected from the top. The loft flat is the home to three residents – Petr, Michal and Grace, a Parson Russell Terrier. During lovely weather all three residents enjoy the cantilever balcony from which you can see the mountain Ještěd with its legendary hotel and television tower.

The young architectural studio was born in Liberec in 2008 and it has since come to be well regarded, not only among architecture enthusiasts. The young architects found the name of their studio in the same fashion as the art movement Dada: they opened a dictionary – in this case a Czech-Swedish dictionary – and chose a word. But here is where the parallel with Dada ends, because in this case the name of the studio, which means milk in Swedish, did not turn out to be an obstacle. ‘Perhaps that’s why people remember us well,’ say the architects playfully. Although the architects and the owners of the villa got on brilliantly from the get-go, the renovation project underwent a few major changes. Initially the renovation was meant for the loft space only, but in the end the owners and the architects decided to include part of the lower level. In this way the loft did not have to be divided into separate spaces, nor was it necessary to accommodate a mini sleeping loft, as was thought in the original plans. The entire loft has thus remained a generous, unified space. Today you enter the flat from the level below, which houses the bedroom and the office, and then climb a wooden staircase that leads to the open loft space, where you find the living room, kitchen with dining area and bathroom. What was most difficult about the renovation? According to the architect duo, ‘the greatest challenge stemmed from the fact that the loft space was not intended as living ►

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The resulting flat has a simple, airy yet cozy atmosphere. Playful, colourful details in the interior create a sense of friendliness, whether through the hanging cables of the light fixtures, retro chairs, or the repeated use of ash and spruce. This is exactly what Studio Mjölk reflects – simplicity, playfulness and the use of quality materials. When we asked the loft creators where they drew their inspiration, the answer did not include a specific destination or the name of a famous architect, as we may have expected. ‘We are most inspired by nature. We teach at the School of Architecture here in Liberec, so when we have a free moment and need to unwind and clear our heads, we head for the forest,’ explained Lukáš and Jan. ■

LEFT: The bedroom is light and simply furnished to ensure quiet rest. It is located on the lower level, which was originally not meant to be part of the flat.

space when the villa was built, so the renovation had to start by strengthening the floor beams to carry extra weight. Another ‘nut to crack’ was the installation of the cantilever balcony, which was anchored to the beam structure with metal rods.’ The final challenge was the fitting of the bathroom window, which was quite risky and required the help of a crane. ‘It was one large piece of glass and no one wanted to touch it. They tried to convince us to at least halve it, but in the end we did it at our own risk and luckily it all worked out,’ remembers Michal, one of the owners. The long panel of milky glass allows beautiful light to stream in while offering privacy.

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LEFT: The sunny bathroom comes to life with ornamental Turkish tiles and light streaming in through a wide window built from a single pane of glass. Porcelain figurines by the Czech porcelain manufacturer Royal Dux Bohemia adorn the window sill.

2010 | FITNESS STOOLS

2011 | MUFFINS

2012 | SHADOWS

2013 | DOUBLE BOWLS

Wooden stools cushioned by softly padded covers. When the cushioning covers are removed, the sitting stools transform into tools for easy stretching and exercising.

Designed by Lucie Koldova and Dan Yeffet and manufactured by Brokis, Muffin lamps were conceived as a marriage between blown glass and oak. The lamps combine excellent design with high quality materials and communicate the savoir faire of their producers.

Designed by Lucie Koldova and Dan Yeffet and manufactured by Brokis, the Shadows collection is a modern interpretation of the timeless and much appreciated French atelier shade, homage to its previous typology.

Multi-purpose bowls with a glass top/stand that offer various display options. Fruits and nuts can be placed in the coloured bowl as it nestles in the transparent glass stand, or they can appear to float in the air when the whole bowl is set upside down.

SPOR T & CHAMPAGN E partner for the article: Moët & Chandon | text: Adéla Kudrnová | photo: Martin Chum and company archives

WHAT DOES SPORT HAVE TO DO WITH MOËT & CHANDON CHAMPAGNE? A GREAT DEAL! AFTER ALL IT WAS A BOTTLE OF MOËT & CHANDON THAT IN 1950 GAVE BIRTH TO THE TRADITION OF JUBILANT SPRAYING OF CHAMPAGNE AFTER A VICTORIOUS GAME. IT ALL BEGAN, AS IT OFTEN DOES, WITH AN ACCIDENT WHEN A BOTTLE OF CHAMPAGNE POPPED UNEXPECTEDLY. SINCE THEN COUNTLESS ARTISTS AND DESIGNERS HAVE PAID HOMAGE TO THIS LUSCIOUS DRINK. THE LATEST IS THE CZECH DESIGNER LUCIE KOLDOVÁ, WHOSE WORK WE PRESENT HERE.

Lucie Koldová is a prominent Czech product and furniture designer working in Prague and Paris. In her elegant and charismatic style Lucie creates furniture, glass sculptures, timeless light fixtures and objects of desire. The designer’s work can be characterised by her use of glass and light, and her creations emanate translucence, fragility and strength. Here we present some of Lucie Koldová’s designs in a timeline that highlights her early work with sports equipment and ends with her latest project for Moët & Chandon. In a tribute to the champagne producer Lucie created a display stand called the Sea Pearl, in which a Moët & Chandon champagne bottle is enveloped in a glass seashell designed to evoke a translucent bubble hiding a precious pearl. Learn more at www.luciekoldova.com and www.moet.com

2013 | WRAP TABLES

2014 | MONA

2015 | FLUTES

2016 | SEA PEARL

Designed for and manufactured by Lugi, the low coffee tables are made of two pieces of bent plywood rolled into a compact wrap. In addition to their striking colours, generous dimensions and beautiful wood texture, the coffee tables are very strong on detail.

The oversized pendant lamp, designed for and manufactured by Brokis, highlights the beauty of smooth glass when paired with soft curves. The strong tubular light daringly permeating through the delicate lampshade creates a sense of thrilling tension.

Designed for and manufactured by Brokis, Flutes were conceived as suspension lighting for hotel foyers. As the name suggests, the elegant conical shape was inspired by the flute.

A giant seashell hiding a precious pearl - a bottle of Moët & Chandon champagne - pays tribute to this great house of champagne. The champagne bottle stand that brings to mind a glass bubble was manufactured in Glassworks Janštejn.

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SOFFA PODCAST THE BEST OF SOFFA IN CZECH DIRECTLY TO YOUR HEADPHONES!

DIY SPORTS PROJECT Jumping Elastics

YO U M U ST J U M P TO B E C ZEC H ! partner for the article: IKEA | text: Helena Novotná | styling: SOFFA illustration: Lenka Hlaváčová | photo: Adéla Havelková

YOU FINISH PLAYING AND PUT YOUR TOYS AWAY. WHAT A SHAME. WOULDN’T IT BE NICER IF YOUR TOYS DOUBLED AS INTERIOR DECOR? YOU NEEDN’T LOOK FURTHER THAN IKEA’S LATTJO COLLECTION: WOODEN BOARD GAMES, RATTAN HULA HOOPS AND MOST IMPORTANTLY ... LONG LOOPS OF ELASTIC! DIFFICULTY: gradually increasing

‘Hello Mrs. Nováková, can Anča come out and jump?’

TIME: as long as you can do it

This was the echo that travelled through Czech housing estates during the 1990s. All you needed was a bit of elastic from your mother’s sewing box and a couple of friends. Nothing more. No sports shoes, because jumping barefoot helps you to not get penalised for snagging the elastic on your shoes. Let’s bring Elastics back onto the streets! After all, jumping helps to improve coordination and your fitness level!

WHAT YOU NEED: elastic ribbon loop, such as the LATTJO kind from IKEA two play buddies (if needed both can be replaced by trees, furniture, etc.) resolve stamina

INSTRUCTIONS: Two players stand inside the elastic loop facing each other. With their feet shoulder►

LEFT: Toys that are pleasing to the eye. But beware - there is the danger they will lure not only kids but adults too: yoyo, figurines from a selection of board games, elastic ribbons, hula hoop - all from IKEA’s LATTJO collection.

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width apart they stretch the elastic by moving away from each other until the elastic is taut. The third player begins the game by jumping in, out or onto the elastic in a particular pattern until she makes a mistake: either fumbles a jump, confuses the pattern, touches the elastic with her hand or catches the elastic on her clothing or shoes. The jumper then gets replaced by the next and all three players take turns this way. When the turn returns to the first player, she continues from the same place where she stopped in the previous round.

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The game begins with ‘ones’, where the elastic is at ankle height. At ‘twos’ you move the elastic half-way up the calves, at ‘threes’ up to the knees, and so on, as high as the players’ height and physical fitness allow. When the elastic is too high for jumping with both feet at once, the game continues with so called ‘scissor jumps’, where you kick over the elastic with one leg first followed by the other in a scissor action. Not as easy as it sounds. And how many jumping patterns are there? As many as you can imagine. You can jump a simple pattern and make it more difficult by moving the elastic higher. Or you can complicate the pattern by crossing the elastic or putting a twist into your jump. You can come up with countless rhythmic rhymes or songs to help move your jumping along. There is no limit to where your fantasy may take you - the most important thing is simply to jump, jump, jump! ■

SPO R T S DI EH A R DS Living a Double Life

D E VOTE D TO T H EI R S PO R T text: Sára Němečková | styling: SOFFA | photo: Adéla Havelková

SPORT IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF MANY PEOPLE’S LIVES, AND FOR EACH OF OUR FEATURED PERSONALITIES THIS TAKES ON A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT MEANING. FOR SOME OF THEM IT IS A WAY TO RELAX AFTER WORK WITH A GROUP OF FRIENDS, A HOBBY THAT IS SLOWLY BECOMING THEIR PROFESSION, OR A LIFELONG MISSION. FOR ALL OF THEM THOUGH, SPORT AWAKENS A HIDDEN AND PERHAPS SURPRISING PASSION, A PASSION SO DEEP THAT NEXT TO THEIR ORDINARY LIFE THEY LIVE A SECOND ‘SPORTING’ LIFE. WHICH OF THEM DO YOU IDENTIFY WITH THE MOST? Some people are passionate athletes, while others recall with dread the days they tried at all cost to avoid physical education classes in school. And then there are those for whom sport is a means to achieve the much desired ‘super’ body and greater confidence. Sometimes we are surprised to learn that a colleague at work is an avid hockey fan who never misses a home game, that another colleague organises training in her very own sports club, or that the family lawyer spends an hour each morning training at the local boxing ring. Sports diehards are all around us – amongst our friends and colleagues – but often we don’t know anything about their sporting lives. In this feature we have chosen six personalities for whom sport plays a big role: the lawyer who is rising in the ranks of the Managers’ Boxing League; the lifelong gymnast and Sokol trainer; the volunteer firefighter whose love of firefighting competitions is soon to become a career; and the young women who in their free time are developing a local reputation for the rather nontraditional sport of roller derby. Sport has a different meaning for each of these sports enthusiasts, but thanks to sport they all lead a double life – the ordinary one and the ‘sporting’ one. ■

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PETR JIRKŮ Entrepreneur – Sokol Trainer

WHERE ELSE THAN A SOKOL GYMNASIUM WOULD YOU FIND THE HEART AND SOUL OF AN ATHLETE? Petr Jirků has been a gymnast since his childhood, when he became part of a gymnastics club in Kralupy nad Vltavou. He joined the Sokol movement in 1991 when the organisation became reestablished in Czechia, and Sokol has come to play an irreplaceable role in his life. In addition to his continued devotion to gymnastics, Petr Jirků is also a dedicated trainer at TJ Sokol Vyšehrad, a cherished role that provides opportunities for working with young people. He considers his training work with young people to be his mission, one that includes preserving and passing on the values of Sokol. To him Sokol is about more than simply exercise – it is a place to take a break from work, connect with friends and join various social activities. His lifelong involvement in Sokol’s large-scale exercise events has resulted in lasting friendships, and it has also helped him to apply Sokol values to his ‘ordinary’ life.

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JAN BÍLEK Lawyer - Boxer

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DID YOU KNOW THAT CZECHIA HAS ITS OWN MANAGERS’ BOXING LEAGUE? One of its members is Jan Bílek, by day a financial lawyer who trains every morning before going to the office. Jan found boxing shortly after starting his career in law, and at first all he wanted was to improve his fitness level and release work stress. After a few training sessions he was hooked and later started to compete in the Managers’ Boxing League, currently led by Jan’s trainer and the Czech Republic’s Super Heavyweight Champion Dan Táborský. The Managers’ League has slightly relaxed rules that make it possible for working professionals to experience the atmosphere of a boxing ring match, and Jan is currently one of the best Heavyweight boxers in the league. He is also involved in other sports and these help him to keep as fit as possible on his journey to win the coveted league title.

MARTIN JELÍNEK Auto Service Owner – Volunteer Firefighter

CAN YOUR HOBBY ALSO BE YOUR BREAD AND BUTTER? If you are truly dedicated and train long and hard, then you can enjoy the fruits of your labour like Martin, a member of the Řeporyje Volunteer Firefighting Unit. In Czechia firefighting is connected closely to the firefighting sport. Martin focuses on its most challenging discipline, called the Toughest Firefighter Alive, which requires competitors to demonstrate exceptional physical abilities. During competitions Martin and his opponents carry mannequins that weigh 90 kilograms, wind fire hoses and run up tall buildings. Martin is one of the best firefighters competing in this discipline in the Czech Republic, and training for the competitions is an integral part of his daily life. After years of service with volunteer firefighters and countless victories in firefighting sport competitions, Martin has decided to pursue his passion professionally by joining the Fire Brigade at the Prague Castle. Thanks to his years of training he is in the best form possible for such an honourable position.

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LUCIE (BEATRICK KIDDO), LADIS (LADIS SWEET MASTERPIECE) AND TEREZA (BARBARELLA) Administrator, Artist and Architect – members of the Prague City Roller Derby

DO YOU KNOW ROLLER DERBY? They are fast, furious, flamboyant and fun – women on roller skates racing around a track and blocking members of the opposing team through various manoeuvres of body contact. Roller derby is a huge hobby for Lucie, Ladis and Tereza, who spend considerable time not only on training activities, but also on managing team support tasks. Although roller derby is attractive as a spectator sport, it is not well known in the Czech Republic and therefore lacks in resources and support. Each of the women uses her professional acumen and experience for the benefit of the team. Lucie, alias BEATrick KIDDO on the track, works for a local council and so she looks after the team’s finances and administrative matters. Ladis, alias Ladis Sweet Masterpiece, is an art student and so she takes responsibility for the visual style of the team – uniform, logo and advertising. Tereza, who plays under the pseudonym Barbarella, is an architect by day and uses her planning skills to be the team’s main organiser. But when it comes to game time each of the women immerses herself fully into her alter ego and her ‘ordinary’ life goes straight out the window.

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BLO O D – S W EAT - T EA R S text: Filip Ospalý, Adéla Kudrnová | photo: Lina Németh

THIS SPORT ISSUE WOULDN’T BE COMPLETE WITHOUT A COMMENT FROM A TOP ATHLETE. NO ONE ELSE COULD ARTICULATE THE ESSENCE OF SPORT AS WELL AS SOMEONE WHO HAS GIVEN IT HIS BLOOD, SWEAT AND TEARS. THE TRIATHLETE FILIP OSPALÝ TALKED WITH SOFFA ABOUT THE MEANING OF SPORT IN SHORT SLOGANS AND PITHY STATEMENTS. JOIN US TO DISCOVER THE SOUL OF AN ELITE ATHLETE. Filip Ospalý has been a triathlete since the age of 16, and a professional athlete since 1996. He has participated three times in the Summer Olympic Games (Sydney 2000, Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008); has won the European Championship in Triathlon (Karlovy Vary 2001), Biathlon (Rimini 2006) and Middle Distance Triathlon (Rimini 2015); and is a three-time winner of the ITU World Cup (Lausanne 2002, Hamburg 2005 and Madrid 2007); three-time winner of the FISU World University Championship (Tiszaujváros 2000, Nanao 2002 and Mallorca 2004); seven-time winner of the Ironman 70.3 Championship; two-time winner of the Challenge Family Championship; and a multiple Triathlon Champion of the Czech Republic. This season is probably his last season of competing professionally. ■

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SWEAT CANâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T DO WITHOUT IT.

RESERVES SPORT IS GREAT IN THAT IT HELPS YOU DISCOVER YOUR LIMITS AND THEN PUSH YOURSELF TO EXPAND THEM, SO THE NEXT COMPETITION CAN BE EVEN BETTER!

IT’S IN THE HEAD SPORT IS NOT ONLY ABOUT PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, BUT ALSO MENTAL READINESS. ON ‘D DAY’ WHAT MATTERS MOST IS NOT THE BODY, BUT THE HEAD. A CHALLENGE THAT WOULD BREAK ONE PERSON CAN GIVE ANOTHER THE NECESSARY KICK FOR AN OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE.

TEARS THERE ARE THREE KINDS â&#x20AC;&#x201C; TEARS OF JOY, TEARS OF FAILURE AND TEARS OF PAIN. BUT ATHLETES NEVER CRY; THEY EITHER CURSE A LOT OR DESTROY EVERYTHING THAT STANDS IN THEIR WAY.

SUSTAINABLE FASHION DAY POP UP SALES EVENT OF MEANINGFUL FASHION 3. - 4. 9. 2016 Kafka’s House, Prague RAGWEAR INFO ZONE - workshops, seminars, international guests www.sustainablefashionday.cz

CITY BIKES BY TOKYOBIKE Urbane exclusively presents urban bicycles by the independent Japanese brand tokyobike! Visit our showroom in Karlín for a test ride! www.urbane.cz

SLADDA BICYCLE IKEA introduces the SLADDA bicycle, which received the Red Dot Design Award in the ‘Best of the Best’ category for its groundbreaking design. SLADDA is a comfortable, low-maintenance unisex bike that can be easily adapted to different needs. The convertible bicycle offers a complete accessory system with baskets, bags and even a trailer to support a sustainable and healthy lifestyle in the city. www.ikea.com

Crafted in the heart of Europe from high quality materials, NAUT is more than just a cool accessory. Thanks to its unique modular design, NAUT can change not only its look but also its functionality. In a few seconds a handy light bag turns into a spacious urban backpack. www.liftoff.cc

BU I LT F O R S PO R T Legendary Arenas

TABE R NACL ES O F C ZEC H S PO R T text: Hana Švolbová | styling: SOFFA photo: Adéla Havelková, Ondřej Lipár

PEOPLE HAVE BEEN PLAYING SPORT SINCE TIME IMMEMORIAL AND FOR AS LONG AS THAT THEY HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR AND BUILDING ARENAS FOR INDIVIDUAL OR COLLECTIVE SPORTS COMPETITION. FOR THIS ARTICLE THE SOFFA TEAM HAS GONE IN SEARCH OF LOCATIONS THAT HAVE WITNESSED KEY HISTORIC MOMENTS IN CZECH SPORT. THESE INCLUDE HOCKEY AND FOOTBALL STADIUMS AS WELL AS THE UBIQUITOUS GYMNASIUMS SET UP IN EVERY CITY AND TOWN BY THE GYMNASTICS SOCIETY SOKOL, WHICH WAS FOUNDED IN PRAGUE IN THE LATE 1800s. The story must begin with Štvanice – a name inseparable from the notion of sport in the Czech psyche. It was here, on a small island in the river Vltava in Prague, where one of the most famous Czech stadiums stood. Štvanice was where the first artificial ice rink opened in the Czech Republic, and where Czech hockey players won four world championship medals. The stadium also witnessed the first live television sports broadcast in the Czech Republic, which aired on 11 February 1955. When it was built in 1931, the stadium was open to the elements and built entirely of wood; it gained a cover only in 1956. But from the 1960s onwards the stadium fell into decline, overshadowed by a new arena at the Prague Exhibition complex, and although it was designated with cultural heritage status in 2000, disrepair led to its demolition in 2011. No longer able to visit Štvanice, SOFFA has gone in search of other tabernacles of Czech sport, places where one can pay homage to the indomitable spirit of countless sportsmen and women. The stories of these places are intertwined with the stories of Olympic champions, famous architects and everyday sports enthusiasts. ■

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THE GREAT STRAHOV STADIUM

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Some sources consider the famous Strahov Stadium to be the largest stadium in the world. The first wooden building on the site was opened for the 8th All-Sokol Festival in 1926 in the presence of President Masaryk. Over the years the stadium underwent several building stages, the last being in 1975. Legionnaires paraded through the stadium during the two World Wars, as did many gymnasts participating in large Sokol festivals, including the 1994 postCommunist All-Sokol revival. During the early 1990s the stadium hosted large rock concerts, among them the Rolling Stones, but it began to fall into disrepair from the mid 1990s onwards until the football club AC Sparta Prague undertook renovations that divided the large stadium into several training fields. Thanks to these efforts the stadium continues to function as a sporting venue to this day.

THE SWIMMING POOL UNDER BARRANDOV TERRACES

The Barrandov Terraces complex with its scenic restaurant and famous bar Trilobit was the place to be seen during the 1930s, a place where visitors could mingle with the cream of Prague’s society and stars of the silver screen. The Functionalist-style complex included a two-level swimming pool nestled under a steep cliff, designed by the architect Václav Kolátor, which hosted swimming competitions but was also open for recreational swimming. For swimmers’ comfort the pool was connected to the restaurant via a set of stairs, and a small cableway transported food and drinks between the pool and the restaurant. A cultural heritage site since 1988 and a monument zone since 1994, the complex has nevertheless fallen into disrepair and was closed in 1994.

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ROYAL GOLF CLUB IN MARIÁNSKÉ LÁZNĚ

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The Royal Golf Club in Mariánské Lázně is the oldest golf club in the Czech Republic and one of the oldest clubs in Europe. Situated on a scenic plateau, the golf course was built in 1905 at the request of English and American guests staying in the picturesque spa town. One of the founding members of the golf club was the English King Edward VII, who was present for the grand opening on 21 August 1905. The course originally had 9 holes, but was later enlarged into a beautiful woodland/parkland course with 18 holes and a clubhouse built in the English style. Some of the best golfers in the world played on the course before the Second World War, and past celebrity players include the author Rudyard Kipling. The club is so well regarded that in 2003 Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II decreed that it may use the designation of a ‘Royal Golf Club’.

THE SOKOL GYMNASIUM [SOKOLOVNA] IN KRÁLOVSKÉ VINOHRADY

With nearly 70,000 m2 of sporting halls and other facilities, the Sokol gymnasium complex in the Prague neighbourhood of Královské Vinohrady is the largest Sokol sporting hall in the world. Although its construction began in 1938, it was used as a hospital during the Nazi occupation and only in 1946 did it begin to serve its true purpose. The complex continued to be used for sporting purposes during the communist era, and was returned in 1991 to the Sokol movement. The building represents one of the most pure examples of Functionalist architecture in Prague and is heritage listed by UNESCO.

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SKI JUMPING INRUNS IN HARRACHOV

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The northern slope of the Devil’s Mountain [Čertova hora] in Harrachov beckons enthusiasts of Nordic skiing with a complex of ski jumping inruns, the oldest of which was built in 1920. The ski jumping complex boasts small, medium, large and even one of the world’s six so-called mammoth inruns. It is here that the Czech ski jumper Pavel Ploc secured the 1985 world record with a jump of 181 metres. Today’s world record stands at 215.5 metres, and is held by the multiple Olympic medallist Simon Amman.

THE HOCKEY STADIUM IN KLADNO

Currently named the ČEZ STADION, this hockey stadium is one of the oldest of its kind in the Czech Republic, although it is not particularly interesting architecturally. Since it opened in 1949 the tworink stadium has witnessed the making of many Olympic and World champions, as well as holders of the Stanley Cup. The most iconic of these is, of course, the Czech hockey legend Jaromír Jágr.

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HOCKEY PLAYER IN FRONT OF THE SPORTS HALL AT TIPSPORT ARENA

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A statue of a jubilant hockey player who has just scored a goal rises triumphantly in front of the sports hall at the Prague Exhibition complex. Sculpted by Zdeněk Němeček (grandfather of our production manager and editor Sára), the statue was designed in 1969 as a response to the Golden Hockey Stick poll to choose the best Czechoslovak hockey player. Support for hockey was at an all time high in 1969 after the Czechoslovak team twice beat the Russians at the World Ice Hockey Championships in Stockholm - this in the wake of the events of August 1968 and the subsequent occupation of Czechoslovakia by the countries of the Warsaw Pact. The bronze statue, believed to be based on the team captain Jozef Golonka, was unveiled for the 1972 World Ice Hockey Championships, which were held in Prague.

ZÁTOPEK’S TRAILS

Emil Zátopek, one of the most famous of long-distance runners in the world, was born in Stará Boleslav, which today is part of the town Brandýs nad Labem. Zátopek’s name is attached not only to the local athletics centre, but also to three trail circuits in nearby woods. The 1, 3 and 5 km long circuits are where the legendary Olympic champion trained, often running in military boots to improve his strength. The circuits can be combined in various ways for desired distance, and are used by professional as well as recreational runners. This is perhaps why locals sometimes call the long flat stretches ‘Václavák’ after Prague’s long but leisurely Wenceslaus Square [Václavské náměstí].

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STADIUM ZA LUŽÁNKAMI

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Stadium Za Lužánkami in the Královo Pole area of Brno was conceived in the 1930s, but the building project of the largest football stadium in Czechoslovakia with a capacity of 50,000 spectators was not completed until 1953. Stadium Za Lužánkami is where many football records were broken in both league matches by the home team Zbrojovka and in representation matches. The last league match was played in the stadium in 2001, after which the complex fell into disrepair, changed ownership and faced the threat of demolition. But football fans did not want to lose this gem of a sports arena, and so thanks to the efforts of the footballer Petr Švancara and countless volunteers, the stadium reopened on 27 June 2015 to the cheer of 35,000 fans.

STADIUM JULISKA

Stadium Juliska in the Prague neighbourhood of Dejvice is the seat of the football club FK Dukla Prague and the athletics club ASK Dukla. The stadium’s extensive spectator stands, which prior to reconstruction could seat as many as 29,000 spectators, are among the largest and most beautiful structures of this kind in the Czech Republic, and offers a stunning panoramic view of Prague. Although the stadium has primarily been a football stadium, and witnessed some spectacular moments in football history, it also has an interesting athletics chapter. Juliska serves as the training venue for the Army’s sports centre Dukla, which includes among its current and past members many giants on the world stage of athletics, including Emil Zátopek, Jan Železný, Tomáš Dvořák, Roman Šebrle, Barbora Špotáková and Pavel Maslák, among others.

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n BO O K S ABO U T S PO R T styling: Adéla Kudrnová | photo: company archives

IT IS ONE THING TO PLAY SPORT AND ANOTHER TO READ ABOUT IT. WHATEVER FORM OF SPORT YOU LIKE, WE HAVE SELECTED SOME OF THE MOST TIMELY AND INTERESTING BOOKS ABOUT THE WORLD OF SPORT.

Norman Mailer. The Fight, Art Edition by Neil Leifer, www.taschen.com, € 1 500 | Zátopek...když nemůžeš, tak přidej!, by Jaromír 99 and Jan Novák, www.kosmas.cz, CZK 338 | The Stylish Life: Tennis, teNeues, www.slovart.cz, CZK 926 | Móda pod olympijskými kruhy, by Šárka Rámišová and Lucie Swierczeková, www.kosmas.cz, CZK 279 | The eBike Book, teNeues, www.slovart.cz, CZK 1 181 | Surfing. 1778–2015. Limited Edition 1-125 ‘Wild Angels’, www.taschen.com, € 750 | Sport je umění, by Petr Volf, www.neoluxor.cz, CZK 882

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W I N A CL A S P’ PI N BA NDIT BACK PACK ! Win a Clasp’pin Bandit backpack valued at CZK 6 000. Write to us at info@soffamag.com (subject: Clasp’pin) with your idea for the name of a Clasp’pin ladies’ backpack that is currently being developed. The most interesting idea wins! For complete contest rules go to www.soffamag.com

More at www.clasppingoods.com

opera PRESENTED AT THE NATIONAL THEATRE

ORFF

DIE KLUGE DER MOND FOTO: JOSEF RABARA

CONDUCTOR: ZBYNĚK MÜLLER STAGE DIRECTOR: JIŘÍ NEKVASIL PREMIERES: 20. & 21. 10. 2016

SO F FA & F EDR I G O N I ‘Paper’ Projects from Czech Designers

CZ EC H DES I G N ME E T S F EDR I G O N I text: Adéla Kudrnová | photo: company archives and Fedrigoni

IN OUR SPECIAL MULTI-PART SERIES ON THE FEDRIGONI PAPER MANUFACTURER WE BRING YOU FIVE ‘PAPER‘ PROJECTS FROM THE HANDS OF CZECH DESIGNERS. MOST HAVE BEEN NOMINATED FOR THE TOP FEDRIGONI AWARD 2017. LET’S MEET THEM.

MONIKA LEPSCHY The work of the Czech fashion designer Monika Lepschy, who studied fashion design in Plzeň, caught the attention of Fedrigoni so much that the company approached the young designer with a proposal to collaborate. This led to the creation of a unique shoe and jewellery collection shown last year at the Vancouver Fashion Week in Canada. COLLECTION THANK YOU MARCUS Named after the Fedrigoni general manager Marcus Lange, the collection features shoes and jewellery created by the multiple layering of Fedrigoni paper, producing remarkable structures and patterns. Fedrigoni papers used in the collection: Sirio Color, Sirio White White, Sirio Ultra Black www.lepschy.cz

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BARBORA TOMAN TYLOVÁ The graphic designer Barbora Toman Tylová devoted five years of her life to studying and collecting the work of the Czech typographer and book designer Oldřich Hlavsa (1909 – 1995). The results of her work are presented in a comprehensive monograph.

JDE O TO, ABY O NĚCO ŠLO [IT’S IMPORTANT THAT IT MATTERS] | TYPOGRAPHER OLDŘICH HLAVSA The monograph presents for the first time a comprehensive review of the typographer’s extensive body of work, which defines an important chapter in the development of Czech graphic design in the second half of the 20th century. Fedrigoni papers used in the printing: Freelife Vellum White 140 g/m2, Woodstock Grigio 110 g/m2 www.oldrichhlavsa.cz

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PAPELOTE Created in 2009 as the university thesis of Kateřina Šachová, and subsequently her joint project with Filip Šach and Denisa Havrdová, Papelote are stationary makers whom we love and applaud!

UVEA 2016 (DIARY + GREETING CARD) A diary for the eye clinic UVEA Mediklinik complemented with a new year’s greeting for 2016, which was cleverly designed as an origami greeting card and envelope in one. Each day of the year the diary inspires its owner with the motto ‘Every day comes only once in your life’. The intriguing origami greeting card reveals interesting information about the eyes of a jaguar. Fedrigoni papers used in the project: Woodstock Verde 285 g/m2, Woodstock Pistacchio 285 g/m2, Woodstock Pistacchio 170 g/m2, Woodstock Betulla 110 g/m2 www.papelote.cz

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ANNA STEINEROVÁ & IRENA SVOBODOVÁ The jeweller Anna Steinerová and photographer Irena Svobodová are the creative duo behind project Kaa-wa. They also design engagement rings, game trophies and custom-made jewellery. PROJECT KAA-WA Project Kaa-wa connects the worlds of stories, jewellery and illustration. The heart of the project is jewellery made from precious metals and wood in the shape of a coffee bean. Designed by Anna Steinerová, the jewellery is set in a beautiful box created from Fedrigoni Materica paper by the illustration studio NaPoli. The box resembles a bag of coffee and doubles as a jewellery stand. Part of the proceeds from the sale of Kaa-wa jewellery support the work of Klub Afasie [Club Aphasia]. Fedrigoni papers used in the project: Materica Pitch 360 g/m2, Materica Terra Rossa 250 g/m2, Materica Verdigris 250 g/m2, Materica Kraft 250 g/m2 www.kaawa.cz

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CALICO Studio Calico design and print infinite patterns and use the printed material to create their own products. They own several hundred historical patterns which they redesign and bring back to life. In addition to silkscreen printing, Calico work with the almost forgotten method of calico printing. SPECIAL SILKSCREEN COLLECTION OLEG Prints from the Oleg series are created by layering multiple images in such a way that an animal form emerges. Each image aims to emphasise a different visual quality: depth, colour contrast, softness of detail, tone or rippling finish. Fedrigoni papers used in the collection: Sirio Color Blu – Foglia – Cherry – Vino – Nero – Pietra - Gialloro 80 g/m2, Woodstock Betulla – Rosa - Azzurro 80 g/m2

Learn more about these projects at www.fedrigonitopaward.com and www.fedrigoni.cz

www.calico.cz

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Martin Sova | editor Hana Švolbová | editor Tereza Gladišová | editor Zuzana Kovářová | editor Michaela Karásek Čejková | photographer Ondřej Lipár | photographer Tereza Červinková | photographer Daria Arzamasova | illustrator Tereza Hrdličková | make-up Tomáš Koblása | hair Ingrid Martonova I English translation Peter Stannard I English revision & proofreading THE WINNERS FROM THE JUNE ISSUE REBUS: Lilia Nguyen MATT&NAT: Dominika Antonie Skalová CONTACT www.soffamag.com info@soffamag.com +420 775 555 035 +420 777 623 346 SUBSCRIPTION OFFERED BY SEND předplatné, spol. s r.o., Ve Žlíbku 1800/77, hala A3, Praha 9, tel. +420 225 985 225, send@send.cz DISTRIBUTION Would you like to become a SOFFA dealer? Email us stockist@soffamag.com

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registration: MK ČR E 21947, ISSN 2336-5943 Volume 16 published on 15 August 2016

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