When tradition takes a new shape. At Elite Bohemia we experiment with glass casting
Czech glassmaking is built on craft techniques passed down through generations. At Elite Bohemia we see this heritage as more than a legacy. It is a source of inspiration and a foundation for contemporary design.
This thinking is behind our experiment with a traditional technique called hot glass casting. The principle itself is not new. What is new is how we use it, and the possibilities it opens up for contemporary light fixtures and light objects.
An old technique in a new role
Casting hot molten glass has long been part of glassmaking. Glass is gathered from the furnace and poured into moulds or onto prepared surfaces that give it its basic shape or structure. Similar processes appear in Italian chandelier components.
Our external designer Jiří Krišica set out to take this principle in a different direction.
"In my work I often draw on traditional methods and look for ways to bring them into a more contemporary form," he explains.
This led to experimenting with layering and overpouring hot molten glass. Several glassmakers gather glass in turn and pour the layers over one another, shaping the component together directly at the furnace.
Colour can also enter the process. Part of the glass is dipped into coloured glass powders during the work, with each gather following a precisely planned sequence. Layer by layer, the colour, structure, and final form take shape according to the designer's vision.
Unlike glass blown into a mould, this object is built up through successive layers of hot molten glass, added and shaped by hand. The process allows for bold, organic shapes with an almost sculptural character.
The final form cannot be planned on paper. Glass behaves as a living material while it is worked, and its behaviour changes with temperature and viscosity. Once the glass stiffens too far, the scope for further shaping becomes limited. The work therefore calls for both speed and precision.
Reheating the glass at the right moments is equally important. Handled incorrectly, internal stress can build up in the material and cause it to crack later. Beyond the technique itself, the outcome depends on the experience and instinct of the people working the glass.
Designer and glassmaker must speak the same language
Close collaboration between the designer and the glassmakers is essential to this technique. The designer brings a vision of the finished object, but the glassmaker must respond in real time to how the material actually behaves.
"It comes down to the connection and understanding between the glassmaker and the designer. They need to know what to expect from each other. The glassmaker must be skilled and experienced, because reaching the final result often involves experimentation," Jiří says.
The process extends beyond the designer and glassmakers. Product development, the glass cutter, the fitter who adds the metal caps, the packer, and the installer are all part of it in turn. The finished object is the shared work of a whole range of professions.
The result did not come on the first attempt
The technique reached its current form gradually. Several rounds of sampling preceded the designer's initial vision. At different stages the team returned to the furnace at least three times, testing different approaches over several hours.
The shape, the colours, and the way the layers overlapped and joined while hot were all refined along the way. Some attempts pointed in the right direction, others showed which way not to go.
This way of working allows us to create large, striking components, and to think of glass not only as an element of a fixture but as a sculptural object in its own right.
The technique is also more demanding than mould blowing or simple hand shaping. The finished pieces can be large and heavy, and producing them requires more time, experience, and coordination across the whole team.
Where this development leads, we do not yet know, but that is what makes it worth following.
We will continue to follow both its technical possibilities and the response from architects, designers, and customers. Their reactions may shape how it develops, and where it finds its place in future Elite Bohemia fixtures.
