Prague 2026

Norman Foster

Norman Foster is one of the defining architects of the modern era. In 1967 he founded Foster + Partners, now a global practice known for pairing technological innovation with environmental responsibility. His portfolio spans the HSBC headquarters in Hong Kong, the glass dome of the Reichstag in Berlin, 30 St Mary Axe in London, the Millau Viaduct in France and Apple Park in California. He received the Pritzker Prize in 1999 and the Praemium Imperiale, and was made a life peer. Through the Norman Foster Foundation in Madrid, he continues to champion interdisciplinary thinking about the future of cities.

Deyan Sudjic

Deyan Sudjic is a prominent design critic and curator, known for his work as the Director Emeritus of the Design Museum in London. He has significantly influenced contemporary design discourse through his roles as a former editor and editorial director of Domus and Blueprint magazines.

Eero Koivisto

Educated at Konstfack University of Arts, Crafts and Design, Stockholm, Aalto University School of Art and Design, Helsinki and Parsons School of Design, New York.

Founded Claesson Koivisto Rune with Mårten Claesson and Ola Rune in 1995.

Michel Rojkind

Michel Rojkind (Mexico City, 1969) studied architecture and urban planning at the Universidad Iberoamericana. In 2002 he founded Rojkind Arquitectos, a Mexico City studio working across design, business strategy and experiential innovation. Built works include the Cineteca Nacional (2012), Mercado Roma (2014), Metadistillery José Cuervo (2022), Pictograma Winery (2023) and The Ledger in Bentonville, Arkansas (2022), the firm’s first mixed-use building in the US. He has taught at SCI-Arc, IIT, UPenn and Harvard, and won the Architectural League of New York’s Emerging Voices award in 2010. In 2025 he was named an Honorary Fellow of the American Institute of Architects.

Aric Chen

Aric Chen is a curator and writer working at the intersection of architecture, design and cultural institutions. Since 2025 he has been Director of the Zaha Hadid Foundation in London. From 2021 to 2025 he led Het Nieuwe Instituut in Rotterdam, the Dutch national institute for architecture, design and digital culture, as General and Artistic Director. He was the founding lead curator for design and architecture at M+ in Hong Kong, the first curatorial director of Design Miami, and creative director of Beijing Design Week. He has taught at Tongji University in Shanghai and is the author of Brazil Modern.

Janja Prokić

Janja Prokić is a Serbian-born designer based in Prague. Trained in painting and sculpture at the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague, she later completed her studies in the Eva Eisler Studio at the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design. There, she began focusing on conceptual jewellery, viewing it as small sculptures that can be worn on the body. For Janja, jewellery is not merely a visual expression; it must carry a deeper meaning. Each of her collections is, in some way, inspired by her personal life—she refers to them as her diaries. Her work draws inspiration from the history of art, symbolism, as well as her childhood, dreams, and fairy tales. Above all, nature plays a crucial role in her life and serves as her greatest muse. Each of Janja’s collections is unique, exploring different themes, and the designer also specialises in creating bespoke pieces. Her works have been exhibited worldwide, from Munich, Stockholm, Florence, London to New York. In addition to jewellery, she continues to create fine art objects and participates in fine art exhibitions.

Judit Horváth

Judit Horváth is a Hungarian curator and art historian specializing in contemporary art. She is known for her work in promoting emerging artists and has curated numerous exhibitions that explore social and cultural themes. Horváth’s contributions to the art world are marked by her commitment to fostering dialogue and innovation in contemporary artistic practices.

Michal Froněk

Michal Froněk is a Czech designer, architect and educator who co-founded studio Olgoj Chorchoj with Jan Němeček in 1990. A graduate of the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague (UMPRUM), he has led its Product Design Studio with Němeček since 1999 and has been a professor since 2015. He is one of the defining figures of Czech design, with international reach. His work spans jewellery, product design, furniture, glass, lighting, interiors and architecture. With Olgoj Chorchoj, he has collaborated with numerous Czech and international manufacturers, and his designs have been shown at major exhibitions at home and abroad.

Magdalena Rochová

Magdalena Rochová is a Czech architect known for her modern, sustainable designs in residential and public architecture. Her work emphasizes clean lines, natural materials, and functional spaces that enhance quality of life. Magdalena is co-founder of architectonic studio JRA architekti an award-winning Prague based studio known for thoughtfull, site-specific architecture that balances contemporary design with respect for landscape and contects. JRA design complex architecture – from the house to the interior detail. Their work has received major recognitions as the Grand Prix of Architects Award, Interior of the year Award, multiple Czech Architecture Award nominations and several ArchDaily Building of the Year Award nominations.

Lenka Míková

Lenka Míková is a Prague-based architect and founder of Lenka Míková Architects, an award-winning six-member studio established in 2016. Her work ranges from renovations and interiors to new builds and exhibitions, with a focus on empathetic, timeless design. She studied at the Faculty of Architecture at CTU, completed internships in Paris, and pursued doctoral studies at the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague, where she has been teaching since 2023.

Leon Jakimič

Leon Jakimič is a Czech entrepreneur and founder of Lasvit, one of the world’s leading studios for bespoke glass design and architectural light installations. Born in 1975 in Liberec into a family with deep roots in Bohemian glassmaking, he studied economics at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles and later completed an Executive MBA at Kellogg-HKUST. He founded Lasvit in 2007, transforming it from a local manufacturer into a global luxury brand with offices across Europe, Asia, and North America. Lasvit collaborates with acclaimed designers including Kengo Kuma and Zaha Hadid, and its work appears in landmark hotels, cultural institutions, and public spaces worldwide.

Ondřej Chybík

Ondřej Chybík is the co-founder of CHYBIK + KRISTOF, an award-winning architecture studio with offices in Brno, Prague, Bratislava, and London. He studied in Brno, Graz, and at ETH Zurich. The studio is known for transformative projects like the Lahofer Winery and a multifunctional arena in Jihlava, and has received accolades such as the Design Vanguard and Grand Prix of Architects. In 2024, they published Crafting Character, a book on identity in architecture.

Adam Štěch

Adam Štěch is a theorist, journalist, and curator specializing in design, architecture, and visual arts. He studied art history at Charles University and serves as editor at Dolce Vita magazine since 2009. Co-founder of creative group OKOLO, he has prepared numerous exhibition and publication projects. His writings appear in Wallpaper, Domus, Frame, and A10. He has collaborated with institutions including Victoria & Albert Museum, Vitra Design Museum, and Triennale di Milano. He lectures at Scholastika in Prague and FUD in Ústí nad Labem. Author of Inside Utopia (Gestalten, 2017), Modern Architecture and Interiors (Prestel, 2020), and Modernist Travel Guide, he has documented over 10,000 20th-century architectural sites across 50+ countries.

Mátyás Zagiba

Mátyás Zagiba is a ceramic designer who graduated from the Ceramics and Porcelain Studio at UMPRUM in Prague. He previously studied at the Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design in Budapest and completed a study trip at the Royal Danish Academy. His practice focuses primarily on material research and experimentation with alternative ceramic firing techniques. His work exists at the intersection of functional and fine art, exploring the possibilities of ceramic material and the processes involved in its firing.

Wojciech Nowak

Wojciech Nowak is a Warsaw-based architect and founder of NOWW Studio, which focuses on interior architecture. His work combines contemporary sensibility with a craftsman’s attention to detail and a respect for historical context. This is shown in his redesign of a 60 m² flat in a 1912 tenement in Warsaw’s Old Mokotów, which survived the war intact. There he reworked the layout and brought together oak, natural stone, rich colour and contemporary art into a layered, personal interior.

Johan Pertl

Johan Pertl is a Czech designer and glass artist based in Prague. He graduated from the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design, where he is currently completing his PhD. Born in the glassmaking region of Vysočina, he draws inspiration from natural and social mechanisms, exploring light, material, and form in both experimental and functional objects. Working from his own studio in Strahov, Pertl creates his pieces by hand, ranging from authorial collections to commissioned works for private and public spaces.

Lukáš Klimčák

Lukáš Klimčák founded KLIMCHI, a Czech glass brand, in 2019 in Kamenický Šenov, the heart of the Crystal Valley. Most of its hand-blown glass is made at the Jílek glassworks, founded in 1905 and one of Czechia’s oldest working glassworks. Initially guided by Czech designer František Jungvirt, KLIMCHI revives historic techniques and decors such as hobnail, pairing them with minimalist forms and bold colours. It quickly gained international acclaim and in 2025 won Prague’s Company of the Year in the small business category. Klimčák aims to bring Czech glass back into the spotlight and draw young people to the craft.

Krištof Kintera

Krištof Kintera is one of the most influential Czech contemporary artists, known for pushing the boundaries of sculpture. He studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague and the Rijksakademie in Amsterdam. His work ranges from large public installations to small kinetic devices and light sculptures, often built from discarded appliances and everyday objects that talk, move, hum or smoke. With humour and wit, he reflects on consumer society, ecology and politics. He has exhibited at Museum Tinguely in Basel, Kunsthal Rotterdam and Centre Pompidou, and his Nervous Trees show at Prague’s Rudolfinum drew over 160,000 visitors.

Jan Kasl

Jan Kasl is a Prague architect and urbanist who has chaired the Czech Chamber of Architects since 2019. He studied architecture and urbanism at the Czech Technical University, graduating in 1976, and leads studio JK Architekti. His work spans strategic and spatial planning, residential and commercial projects, and the integration of major transport infrastructure, such as Prague’s City Ring Road, into the urban fabric. He advocates a holistic approach grounded in long-term sustainability and quality of the built environment. Between 1990 and 2006 he was active in municipal politics, serving as Mayor of Prague from 1998 to 2002.

Károly Pólus

Károly Pólus is a Budapest-based architect and co-founder and CEO of Archikon Architects, one of Hungary’s leading architectural practices. Founded in 1989, Archikon has built an extensive portfolio spanning the revitalisation of historic monuments, as well as social, educational, residential, and mixed-use projects. A graduate of the Faculty of Architecture at Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Pólus has led the studio to numerous national and international awards. Notable projects include the renovation of the iconic Párisi Udvar hotel and the Vizafogó Kindergarten, which was shortlisted for the EU Mies Award 2022. His work consistently balances architectural innovation with community-oriented design and sustainability.

Marek Tichý

Architect and professor at the Faculty of Architecture, Czech Technical University in Prague. In 2002 he founded TaK Architects, the practice he still leads today, which has a long-standing focus on the relationship between contemporary and historic architecture. He explores the search for an authentic architectural expression, and for a balance between heritage protection and the demand for a contemporary, functional building, not only in his own work but also in monographic exhibitions, lectures and publications.

Csaba Nagy

The lead architect and CEO of archikon, graduated from the Faculty of Architecture at Budapest University of Technology and Economics in 1987 and from the Gustav Peichl Master School at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna in 1989. His career has been accompanied by numerous architectural, real estate development, and other awards through the projects of archikon. He is a recipient of the prestigious Ybl Miklós Award and was honored with the Prima Primissima Award in 2018.

Štěpán Braťka

Štěpán Braťka is an architect at ATELIER 6, a Prague studio founded in 1992. Together with lead architect Radek Šíma, he co-authored the design of Dvorecký Bridge, which won an international competition in 2018 against 44 other entries, including Santiago Calatrava. The 331-metre concrete bridge for public transport, pedestrians and cyclists links Podolí and Smíchov. Its cubist-inspired forms reflect Prague’s historic bridges. It opened in April 2026.

More speakers to be revealed soon