The Constitution of the Czech Republic just got a contemporary makeover by graphic designer Ondřej Báchor, paper-craft specialist Matěj Činčera and typographer Jan Novák, who joined forces after winning the design competition for the commission.
Their collaborative work is based on the connection of historical tradition, book craft and contemporary technologies. 'We worked with paper that is associated with Czech book tradition, and at the same time carries civility and openness, which we perceive as close to democratic values,' says Báchor.
A new design for the Constitution of the Czech Republic
The main feature of the design is a motif of the country’s state emblem with a pair of two-tailed lions and a pair of eagles, each representing different Czech regions. The emblem became a structural part of the book and doubles as a symbolic shield of Czech democracy. 'We have [translated] the emblem into a relief [that combines] precision layering of paper with contemporary expression,' says Činčera.
The symbolic colours of the country – blue, red and white – are used throughout the design. A dominant role was given to the colour blue, which represents stability and dignity. The inner block of the book is designed to be easy to remove and replace in the event of an amendment to the constitution. On each sheet of paper, the authors created a relief background print of the emblem, which can be seen only from a certain angle.
The bespoke Democratia typeface was designed for the constitution. 'We were inspired by the calligraphic font from the 1920s constitution, from which we adopted the narrowed proportions and the high contrast of the strokes. The result is an easily readable, yet distinctive font that balances ceremonial and civil expression,' concludes Novák.
Designers are already planning to create a smaller, civil version of the ceremonial book for the general public. The overall result is a rare example of contemporary design used for such formal state purposes. It was also appreciated by the jury of the Czech Grand Design Award 2026, which recognised the designers in the category of graphic design.