Marek Štěpán is an architect from the Czech Republic who founded his own architectural practice, Atelier Štěpán, in 1997, dedicated to architecture, public space and design, providing conceptual and complex proposals for architectural and urban tasks, never forgetting details. Over time, the firm has become a firm of high quality architecture. Marek Štěpán has won several Czech architecture awards, which reflect the quality of the project and its implementation.

Yinji: What inspired your passion for architecture?
Marek Štěpán：Passion is inspired by fragrance, geometry, people and materialization of a building. I love fragrance of fresh concrete, freshly cut wood, plaster and paintings on the construction. From this comes my passion for construction. When I design, I like using Euclidean geometry, I work much on its framework. It is giving building its soul. And dialogue with people is putting forward the process of thinking. 

Yinji: You have spent more than 30 years building the Beatified Restituta Church. What triggered you to start this project and persist in completing it?
Marek Štěpán：I do not know actually. First design proposal is my diploma thesis in 1991, then I had a pause and I came back to the project something about 20 years later. Sacral architecture attracts me. This time it was a tough process. 

Yinji: What kind of design philosophy does Beatified Restituta represent?
Marek Štěpán：Design philosophy of this church come from my poetic minimalism. I mean, today we need to find calmness and peace in sacral space, also from visual pollution. For this reason, I did pure space. At the same time, we need symbolism, which is transmitted into artistic poetry (for instance rainbow light). 

Yinji: How to give architectural spirit power? 
Marek Štěpán：I think this is a process of self-exploration: With simplicity, truthfulness and intuition.

Yinji: How to bring light thinking to architecture?
Marek Štěpán：It is similar to sports. Excellent ice hockey player or gymnast move with great obviousness, some can say lightness. I think it is same with architecture. If you practice a lot, then the lightness comes itself.

Yinji: How do you give the building geometric characteristics? Different shapes, how did you establish them, and what kind of stories behind them?
Marek Štěpán：Geometry is from ancient times given by science. In medieval times towns were geometrically defined by ruling person, the king. So, in medieval times, rulers were interested in it. Every cathedral has its founding geometric model, on which it is later on being built. For instance, in Prague, it is dimension of rotunda of St. Wenceslav. These basic geometric shapes we have somehow under our skin. Their meanings are clear for us, that is why I use them. In addition, those shapes have their own symbolism, for instance circle is divine. 

Yinji:What are your favourite design masters?
Marek Štěpán：Bernard of Clairvaux, Peter Zumthor, Mario Botta, Valerio Olgiati, Villard de Honnecourt, Euclid，They are our respected designers, I like them very much.

Yinji:When you start a new project, how do you get inspiration?
Marek Štěpán：The most important is calmness, concentration and prayer. Then I wait for kairos, time waiting for it I dedicate myself to work.