Greeting cards inspired by Chinese architecture

Designer Tereza Hradilkova gives snail mail a decidedly modern edge with her innovative interpretation of the classic pop-up card. Her intricately crafted greetings offer whimsical laser-cut reflections of South China cityscapes, from Hong Kong's iconic skyline to Macau's traditional landscape.
Trained as an architect, Czech-born, Hong Kong-based Hradilkova says her 'Porigami' creations were inspired by visits to Japan. 'The fabrics, stamps and paper art are simple but beautiful - especially the paper-cut works of Masahiro Chatani,' she says. She came by the word play in the name rather fortuitously: '"Pori" is my nickname and "gami" means paper in Japanese.'
The delicate structures are brought to life by vivid red architectural elements. Sophisticated details add further intrigue: in one card, a tram set against a city block captures Hong Kong's unique blend of old and new; ditto an elegant tower clad in minutely detailed bamboo scaffolding.
Each set of nine cards - available from the Sidewalk store in Hong Kong (HK$400) and the Sidewalk website - is printed on recycled card stock. Hraoilkoua also offers a larger, special-edition 'Year of the Dragon' card in time for Chinese New Year, designed with hand-carved stamps and her trademark bold red ink (HK$60). Or you can have her customise a design to your specifications.
Hong Kong bamboo scaffolding
Year Of The Dragon (special edition size measures 12.5x20cm)
St Paul's, Macau
Hong Kong Hakka House
Hong Kong Island skyline
Hong Kong tram
Macau A Ma Temple
Peak Tower, Hong Kong
Tai O, Hong Kong
Set of nine cards (8.5x13cm) with red envelopes
ADDRESS
Sidewalk
4 - 6 Gough Street
Central
Hong Kong
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Catherine Shaw is a writer, editor and consultant specialising in architecture and design. She has written and contributed to over ten books, including award-winning monographs on art collector and designer Alan Chan, and on architect William Lim's Asian design philosophy. She has also authored books on architect André Fu, on Turkish interior designer Zeynep Fadıllıoğlu, and on Beijing-based OPEN Architecture's most significant cultural projects across China.
-
Meet Malak Mattar, the Palestinian artist behind the 'Together for Palestine' concert at London's Wembley Arena
The London-based artist curates a landmark concert of music and art in support of Gaza, alongside Brian Eno, James Blake, Jamie xx, Neneh Cherry and more
-
A new coffee table book proves that one designer’s trash is another’s treasure
The Rizzoli tome, launching today (16 September 2025), delves into the philosophy and process of Retrouvius, a design studio reclaiming salvaged materials in weird and wonderful ways
-
A carbon-emission-busting house, yeast-biomass building, and more ‘Designs for a Cooler Planet’
‘Designs for a Cooler Planet’ returns to Aalto University in Finland as part of the annual Helsinki design and architecture week, highlighting buildings, materials and solutions towards a better future