INTRO - a new magazine about architecture

The first issue of the INTRO magazine focused on wood.

At the end of September 2016, the first issue of the INTRO magazine was released, with the aim of helping Czech architecture and construction. This magazine was created after two years of communication with leading Czech architects, some of whom are also on the editorial board.

The INTRO magazine aims to specialize closely on individual topics and explore them from various angles. Similar to wood, concrete, or brick, which were the themes of the first issues (you can find the contents of these issues in our magazine library). The magazine looks at their past, present, and differences from other building materials. It also includes interesting buildings from the Czech Republic and abroad, as well as interviews with well-known architects.

The Creation of the INTRO Magazine

"In 2014, I gradually visited various Czech studios because I had been thinking for some time about starting a new architecture magazine. This step was to determine whether there would be interest in it and how it could be conceived," describes Jan Hejhálek, who is behind the birth of the magazine.

"At the meetings, I heard both positive and negative opinions from architects. One conversation that remained in my memory was with Petr Hájek (Hájek Architects), who described to me for more than an hour why he does not read certain types of magazines. Now, as I reflect on that time, I do not know if I received exactly what I wanted during these visits, but I dare say that I got what I needed - I realized that to create a truly interesting magazine, it will not only take a lot of work but also a perspective that would resemble the viewpoint of future readers as much as possible."

A Magazine that is Not Just a Magazine

The goal of the new magazine was to create something that would leave a mark and help Czech architecture. "I realized that architecture has a huge influence on each of us, and I simply wanted to create a community of people who love it and will be interested in it."

"Of more than twenty architects that I identified and subsequently began to contact, Zdeněk Fránek (Fránek Architects) was the first to respond, giving me the opportunity to stop by his studio and chat briefly about everything. We discussed the content of the magazine, its goals and name, and talked about members of the editorial board. At this meeting, I also learned how important the graphic processing of the magazine would be." So, more "invisible" work followed along with many meetings with potential graphic designers.
 

You can follow the INTRO magazine on Facebook and Instagram.

The Graphic Design of the Magazine

"Choosing a graphic designer was one of the hardest tasks. I realized that a bad choice could quickly mean the magazine's end, and all the work would be in vain. Through recommendations, I gained contacts with some of the best graphic designers I had met, but I knew that equally important would be their enthusiasm and interest in this work."

After several meetings and many hours of contemplation, Honza eventually arranged a collaboration with Alena Hyblerová (studio Formelita), who began to significantly shape the magazine's identity and also came up with its name.

The Team of the INTRO Magazine

After the release of the first issue of the magazine, Martin Verner joined the team, who became the editor-in-chief starting from the third issue. The current editorial board consists of:

• prof. Ing. arch. Zdeněk Fránek, FEng.
• David Maštálka, MgA. and Lenka Křemenová, MgA.
• doc. Ing. Mgr. akad. arch. Petr Hájek
• prof. Ing. arch. Ján Stempel

More information can be found on the website www.introonline.cz, where you can also subscribe to INTRO.
You can follow the magazine on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/mojeintro/) or Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/mojeintro/).