The project for the new headquarters of the Czech National Forest Service will be led by the architectural team CHYBIK+KRISTOF (CH+K). Located in the city of Hradec Králové, the 12,000 m² office building will be the largest wooden structure in the Czech Republic.

The proposal was selected after a two-round anonymous competition held in 2017. It stands out primarily for the way it organizes its facilities, integrating and blending the building into its natural surroundings.

The CHYBIK+KRISTOF office project is composed of five elongated, distinct sections, branching out and extending into the forest. Each branch houses a different department. Inside, the workspaces are organized around shared internal areas. Additionally, the courtyards projected between each module provide a space for interaction for the building's users and, in turn, reinforce the connection between the offices and their surroundings.

The new building aims to serve as a model, paving the way for the greater use of wood as a building material in the Czech Republic. Currently, the lack of a solid structure makes it difficult to approve large-scale wooden buildings.

"Forestry in the Forest" by CHYBIK+KRISTOF. Rendering by PLOMP.
"Forestry in the Forest" by CHYBIK+KRISTOF. Rendering by PLOMP.

Although it is one of the oldest and most durable building materials, wood is quickly establishing itself as the new standard in contemporary architecture. This phenomenon is due to its renewability and low carbon footprint, which align with sustainability parameters.

The project clearly reflects the motto "Lesy sobě" (Forests for You), which advocates maximizing the value of local wood through domestic processing. Based on traditional building practices, complemented by contemporary technologies, the project team aims to reinsert wood at the center of the Czech construction industry.

"Forestry in the Forest" by CHYBIK+KRISTOF. Rendering by CH+K.
"Forestry in the Forest" by CHYBIK+KRISTOF. Rendering by CH+K.

"Wood is the material of the future: deeply rooted in our heritage, but also one of the most versatile, high-performance, and renewable resources. When designing for the forestry industry, we saw wood as the natural choice, embodying the very essence of its mission. This project aims to lay the foundation for large-scale timber building construction in the Czech Republic and serves as an invitation to fully utilize the potential of this material and the expertise that underpins it."

Ondrej Chybik, Founding Partner of CHYBIK + KRISTOF.

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12.000 sqm.

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Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic.

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Chybik + Kristof is an architecture and urban design practice founded in 2010 by Ondřej Chybík and Michal Krištof. Operating with 50+ international team members and offices in Prague, Brno, and Bratislava, the practice aims at creating bridges between private and public space, transcending generations and societal spheres.

Taking into account local histories and environmental specificities, the studio works on a wide array of projects, ranging from urban developments to public and residential buildings. Recent projects include the Gallery of Furniture (Czech Republic), the Czech Pavilion at Expo 2015 (Milan, Italy), and Lahofer Winery (Czech Republic). The studio has been awarded a number of prizes including the 2019 Design Vanguard Award from Architectural Record and was recently amongst the European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies 2019 40 Under 40 Award winners.
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Published on: March 15, 2025
Cite: "Morphological mimesis. "Forestry in the Forest" by CHYBIK+KRISTOF" METALOCUS. Accessed
<http://www.metalocus.es/en/news/morphological-mimesis-forestry-forest-chybikkristof> ISSN 1139-6415
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