Born in Jindřichův Hradec, Karel Filsak came from the family of builder Josef Filsak. Between 1939-1942, he was imprisoned in the Sachsenhausen concentration camp. After internment from 1943-1945, he worked as a designer in the studio of Josef Gočár and studied architecture at the Czech Technical University in Prague after the war. He led a group of architects in the 1960s who opposed the politically imposed socialist realism and promoted genuine modern architecture in Czechoslovakia. His style, known for its use of rough concrete surfaces, is considered the Czechoslovak equivalent of brutalism.

The decision to build the embassy in Beijing was made in 1957 due to developing relations with the People's Republic of China. At that time, Czechoslovakia had 56 diplomatic missions, mostly in rented buildings, and decided to build its own facilities for more dignified representation.

A nearly three-hectare plot was chosen for the complex in a prestigious part of Beijing, in the emerging international diplomatic district of Chaoyang, which replaced the old development near the Forbidden City. The team led by architect Karel Filsak was selected in the competition, seeking a balance between traditional classicism evident especially in the interiors and the revival of a modern style inspired by the Chinese environment in scale and detail.

The buildings are asymmetrically arranged along two perpendicular axes with a generous garden and park. The original project included office buildings, the ambassador's residence, and residential buildings for employees with facilities including a kitchen, dining room, school, and garages. The construction had to withstand challenging climatic conditions and potential earthquakes, hence the use of materials like jointed masonry and ceramic cladding instead of plaster, steel for windows and doors, and low roofs with sheet metal covering.

After the division of Czechoslovakia in 1993, the embassy complex was divided. Slovakia took over the former trade department building, the community house, one of the residential buildings, and the original economic building, while the Czech Republic retained the office building and two residential buildings. 

The complex improved conditions for workers and facilitated the efficient operation of the office, which proved especially valuable during the three-year lockdown in China during the Covid-19 pandemic.