INTRO 2026: inspirational topics from the perspective of prominent personalities

The idea that the preparation of each issue of INTRA will be handled by someone else – a curator close to the given topic – was put into practice with the July Plastic (2025), the content of which was arranged for you by designer Michal Froněk from the Olgoj Chorchoj studio. "Plastics in architecture have helped us achieve decent insulating properties, flexibility, format, and color. But from today's perspective, are they durable enough?" he asks right at the beginning. "I consider creating objects with a long-term utility life to be the greatest challenge. Even a plastic chair can be used for many decades," he outlines his approach to this material.

Michal Froněk

An absolutely unconventional way to tackle the October issue on the topic of Innovation was chosen by architect and educator Petr Hájek, among other things, the winner of the Architect of the Year 2018 award. He decided to focus on the life stories of people who are innovative in some way. And the fact that most of them are not architects at all may come as a surprise to some, but it's worth noting that inspiration often comes from outside the field. "One of the first biographies of inventors I read was about the theologian and naturalist Prokop Diviš. (…) The impression his life story made on me in that small book is something I remember to this day. Since then, whenever I come across something that interests me, I also become curious about the people behind it. Their stories have something in common – and it doesn't matter what era they lived in or what they were engaged in," he explains his approach in his introductory words.

Michal Froněk, Petr Hájek

The year 2025 concluded with a special edition subtitled Countryside, directed by Zdeněk Fránek, a prominent Czech architect and educator, and Architect of the Year 2020. In his manifesto, he points out that space for nature is diminishing in the landscape and highlights the fragility of the environment in which we live. He calls for greater sensitivity to nature and responsible building and states that we can contribute significantly to the protection of nature by being "a good architect." That is, by awakening sensitivity within ourselves, designing responsibly, and spreading awareness.

Zdeněk Fránek

What will this year be like in INTRA?

This year's series of four, or possibly five editions will kick off in March with Clay directed by Martin Žižka. This will be followed by the May INTRO HOUSES 4 featuring the best-rated family houses from the past year, and in July, Water shaped by Petr Tej will be released, with Ján Stempel presenting an issue on Wood in October. The December special on the topic of Light will be created under the direction of Petr Stolín and Alena Mičeková.

A detailed overview for 2026:

The theme of the March issue will be building with clay, straw, and other natural materials, which are making a comeback not only because of their sustainability but also due to - perhaps surprisingly - technical properties and their charm. These materials will be presented by Martin Žižka, an architect, educator, and long-term advocate of natural building materials, in whose work experimentation, craftsmanship, and environmental sensitivity converge. In INTRA, he will show why clay and straw are becoming a viable alternative to conventional building systems - and why it might be high time to start thinking about them differently.

Martin Žižka

The annually published magazine INTRO HOUSES will bring an overview of the best-rated family houses that regularly appear on the Introhouses.cz website, supplemented by a selection from our editorial board members. The magazine showcases the best of Czech and foreign architecture and can also serve as inspiration for your own living.

The curator of the July issue on the topic of Water will be architect and bridge engineer Petr Tej, who currently serves as the head of the department of bridge structures at the Klokner Institute CTU in Prague and lectures at the Faculty of Civil Engineering CTU. In addition to being the author of a number of iconic buildings, he is also a co-author of the Štvanická Footbridge, which received the National Award for Architecture (2024), and about which we published a book.

Petr Tej

The October INTRO will be associated with the name of architect Ján Stempel, a prominent figure in Czech architecture, educator at the Faculty of Architecture CTU, and author of award-winning buildings, including the Reconstruction of the Mill and Villa Sidonius. The studio's exceptionally extensive work is also evidenced by a number of published books mapping their creation.

Ján Stempel

Alena Mičeková and Petr Stolín - the duo who received the title of Architects of the Year 2021, are double winners of the Czech Architecture Award and holders of several other prestigious accolades. Their work is characterized by long-term exploration of the fundamental qualities of architectural art, leading to an evolved poetics of modesty. The architects use accessible, "ordinary" materials in their work to minimize luxury and give maximum space to the architecture itself. This compels them to push the very edge of simplicity and to form space in unconventional ways, thereby enhancing the individual experience of lived architecture.

Alena Mičeková, Petr Stolín

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