For over a decade, CHK has been shaping the future horizons of built environments possessing a social and cultural significance, with a distinctive layer of character transcending the mere physical value. Narrating a new architectural chronic, the inaugural volume explores the studio’s fresh take on architecture and design, advocating for the power of architecture in creating a progressive future.
September 21, 2023 (Prague, London) – CHYBIK + KRISTOF ARCHITECTS (CHK) announce the launch of their first monograph ‘Crafting Character’ presenting over a decade of the architects' work, with a debut in the fall of 2023. This comprehensive collection of their most notable projects shares their solutions to our currently most pressing issues as well as their design philosophy and innovative approach to architecture, focus on social impact and environmental responsibility, as crucial elements of impactful social change.
Published by FRAME Publishers with a foreword by architecture critic Aaron Betsky, the monograph highlights fourteen projects crafted around eight themes ranging from adaptive reuse, public actors, prefabricated modularity, affordability, integration, materiality, self-initiated transformation and importance of the context.
The title ‘Crafting Character’ encapsulates the studio's design approach, characterized by the thoughtful process of crafting buildings that transpire a sense of belonging, ultimately reinvigorating spaces with distinctive personality. The monograph expresses CHK’s methodology to merge groundbreaking design solutions with contextual sensitivity, resulting in spaces that harmoniously interact with their surroundings, convey a true sense of purpose and leave a lasting impression on those who experience them.
‘Crafting Character’ portrays architecture as a spatial dialogue, a dynamic interplay between character and audience, book and reader, building and city. Within this narrative, fourteen cinematic vignettes spotlight projects personified as unique characters, each possessing its own rich history and stories to share. Each vignette emphasizes the connection between relational culture and CHK’s practice highlighting the common bonds within a space rather than any individual arguments and divisions within it – reflecting their human-centered approach to contemporary architecture.
Framed by insightful commentary throughout by writer Adrian Madlener guiding through the world of CHK unfolding within the pages, following the expert edit by François-Luc Giraldeau, ‘Crafting Character’ infuses their distinctive voices within the monograph’s narrative, establishing them as the influences of this generation.
‘This monograph is a testament to our studio's dedication of infusing cultural meaning and social relevance into all built environments, ensuring that these structures become more than just spaces but rather expressions of a collective identity and repositories of history, making them indispensable assets that communities are determined to preserve for generations to come.’ explain Ondřej Chybík and Michal Kristof, the founders of CHYBIK + KRISTOF. ‘We are excited to share the stories behind our projects and inspire fellow architects, designers, and architecture enthusiasts.’
The monograph is as a tribute to the studio's commitment to pushing boundaries, shaping experiences, and crafting architecture with a character that inspires and engages on multiple levels.
‘Crafting Character’ will be released in September in Europe and in November in North America, and will be available on FRAME Publisher’s website, ACC Art Books and Thames&Hudson website, and selected design and book stores.
NOTES TO EDITORS:
About CHYBIK + KRISTOF
CHYBIK + KRISTOF (CHK) is an architecture and urban design practice founded in 2010 by Ondrej Chybik (*1985) and Michal Kristof (*1986). Operating with 60+ international team members and offices in London, Prague and Brno, CHK's focus has been ranging from urban developments to public and residential buildings, emphasizing the connection of architecture and societal responsibility, ultimately creating an improved dialogue between the built environment and the society residing in it. Following a successful volume of work over the last decade, the studio has been awarded a number of prizes, including the 2019 Design Vanguard Award from Architectural Record, and winners amongst the European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies 2019, 40 Under 40 Award. chybik-kristof.com
Image Credits:
1.’Crafting Character’ by CHYBIK+KRISTOF. View of the Cover. Courtesy of CHYBIK+KRISTOF.
2.’Crafting Character’ by CHYBIK+KRISTOF. View of the book excerpt. Courtesy of CHYBIK+KRISTOF.
3.’Crafting Character’ by CHYBIK+KRISTOF. View of the book excerpt. Courtesy of CHYBIK+KRISTOF.
4. ’Crafting Character’ by CHYBIK+KRISTOF. View of the book excerpt. Courtesy of CHYBIK+KRISTOF.
5. ’Crafting Character’ by CHYBIK+KRISTOF. View of the book excerpt. Courtesy of CHYBIK+KRISTOF.