Stempel & Tesar Architects

Founded in 2008 in Prague, Stempel & Tesar Architects is led by principals Ján Stempel and Jan Jakub Tesař. The studio has built a portfolio of over one hundred completed projects, principally in the residential typology, recognised for contextual sensitivity, material honesty, and spatial clarity.

Ján Stempel is a professor at the Faculty of Architecture of Czech Technical University in Prague and one of the foremost figures in contemporary Czech architecture. He trained at the legendary SIAL studio before serving as co-principal of the ADNS office, accumulating over four decades of professional experience. His practice is defined by a rigorous commitment to craft, material integrity, and the long-term performance of inhabited buildings.

Jan Jakub Tesař brings an internationally informed design sensibility to the partnership. He pursued graduate study at TU Delft in the Netherlands and completed a professional internship at Jeanne Dekkers Architectuur, before returning to Prague, where Stempel invited him to co-found the current studio. The practice operates under a strict authorship model: every project is directly led by both principals, supported by a permanent team of structural and building services engineers and a longstanding collaboration with landscape practice Terra Florida. Stempel & Tesar has been recognised among the top 100 architectural studios by Architect+ magazine on five consecutive occasions.