Breathitt Lecture to explore relationship between social issues, architecture

LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 28, 2025) – Lucas Carlos de Lima, a University of Kentucky senior in the College of Design, will give the 30th annual Edward T. Breathitt Undergraduate Lectureship in the Humanities. Carlos de Lima’s lecture will explore the utopian architecture of Wenzel Hablik and Peirre Chareau and the relationship between social issues and architecture.

“Crystal Palaces: Designing a Better World Amidst Social Chaos” will be presented at 6 p.m. Thursday, April 10, in the Davis Marksbury Building. 

The Breathitt Lectureship is presented by the Gaines Center for the Humanities. The student speaker is chosen through an application process that includes a lecture proposal submitted by the student to an independent committee of readers.

"The Breathitt Lecture is a proud tradition in Gaines for recognizing exceptional undergraduate humanities scholarship,” said Michelle Sizemore, director of the Gaines Center. “We’re eager to hear Lucas’ presentation on the utopian design principles of these two early 20th century artists."

Established to honor an eminent Kentuckian and an outstanding UK alumnus whose interest in higher education and the humanities was exceptional, this lectureship is awarded to an undergraduate whose qualities of mind and spirit have been expressed eloquently on one or more of the basic concerns of the humanities.

Wenzel Hablik was a Czech-born painter and designer who worked in Germany, during and after the Great War. When he was 6, Wenzel Hablik stared deep into a crystal he’d discovered in his hometown of Brüx. Inside, he saw “magical castles and mountains” that would haunt the artwork, architecture and design of this polymath Czech artist for the rest of his life, and in those natural crystalline forms, he saw the power of creative forces.

Concomitantly, Pierre Chareau was a French architect and designer, whose most prominent work is a single-family house with a translucent facade composed of glass bricks that was completed in the interwar period. Chareau’s belief that architecture should transcend mere functionality and become an expression of the human spirit is clearly illustrated by his quote, “A house is not a machine to live in. It is the shell of man, his extension, his release, his spiritual emanation.”

Unsurprisingly, the social context of the time in which both of these artists worked and the instability created by the war in Europe had a tremendous impact on the work created. The Modernist movement was sweeping across various disciplines, casting aside traditional constraints and offering a fresh perspective that emphasized function, simplicity and a harmonious relationship between form and purpose. Both Hablik and Chareau shared an interest in utopian architecture and understanding the relationship between social issues and architecture. Both artists were idealists, believing that humanity’s greatest achievements would arise from careful consideration of how architecture could embody the aspirations of an industrial age while promoting societal well-being.

Admission to the event is free and open to the public. To reserve a spot, click here.

Founded in 1984 by a generous gift from John and Joan Gaines, the Gaines Center for the Humanities functions as a laboratory for imaginative and innovative education on UK’s campus. The center is devoted to cultivating an appreciation of the humanities in its students and faculty. The Gaines Center embraces varied paths of knowledge and particularly strives to integrate creative work with traditional academic learning.