Brand Story
In the last decade, Lasvit has taken the dazzling glassware heritage of Bohemia (in the present-day Czech Republic) to new heights. Singapore Tatler Homes speaks to brand founder, Leon Jakimič, to find out how he’s changing the history of glass craft
Czech brand Lasvit marries innovation with the craftsmanship of Bohemian glass work
During Europe’s Renaissance, Bohemia— the largest, westernmost region in what is today the Czech Republic—became famous for its beautiful, decorative glassware. Home to copious amounts of minerals such as limestone and silica, Bohemia developed a strong glass production industry, and its glass workers discovered that by combing potash with chalk, they could create a clear, colourless glass that was sturdier and of higher quality than glass made in Italy. The term “Bohemian crystal” was coined sometime in the 16th century to distinguish this superior “crystalline” glass— which, unlike regular glass, is assumed to contain no lead—from glass produced in other parts of the world.
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The spider-like Concurrency by Lasvit lighting sculpture, which was custommade for the Project East office building in Hong Kong; Lasvit’s founder Leon Jakimič By the 19th century, there were many expert glass craftsmen in Bohemia and the region developed a glassmaking school system that maintained rigorous traditional standards while exploring new techniques. Even today, glass from the Czech Republic is regarded as among the best in the world.
BORN TO LEAD
In 2007, Leon Jakimič, who was born in the Czech city of Liberec and is presently living in Hong Kong, envisioned a dynamic, design-driven company that would celebrate the glassmaking heritage of his ancestors with cutting-edge designs and applications. Jakimič’s vision became a reality when he founded Lasvit, a company that designs and manufactures bespoke glass lighting, sculptures, installations and artwork.
Combining authentic Bohemian glass craft with innovative technologies, Lasvit quickly established itself as the industry leader in hand-blown Bohemian glass. It now has an estimated 350 employees across 15 offices in Europe, the US, the Middle East, Russia and Asia, and its unique works of glass art adorn private residences, performance venues, high-end boutiques, casinos and luxurious hotels worldwide. “Authenticity and luxury go hand in hand,” says Jakimič. Which is why he insists on manufacturing all of Lasvit’s glass in the Czech Republic. Production is concentrated in northern Bohemia, where the glassmaking trade has been passed down from generation to generation, and where Lasvit has its headquarters. “All of our raw materials are sourced only in the Czech Republic,” he explains. “Each glassmaking plant has its own original recipe for glass, consisting of a unique combination of all the ingredients, which it keeps secret. Mixing raw materials such as silica sand, soda ash, limestone and potassium carbonate creates a honey-like mass, also known as the ‘glass mixture’, which stands by the birth of each breathtaking glass installation and collection by Lasvit.”
“AUTHENTICITY AND LUXURY GO HAND IN HAND”
BIGGER AND BOLDER
Lasvit’s name quickly landed on the lips of many respected interior designers, architects and property developers. Within the past decade, the brand has become synonymous with custom-made, luxury hand-blown glass— and numerous respected industry professionals now turn to Jakimič for one-of-a-kind glass art that will make their projects shine. Though the brand designs and produces everything from modular architectural glass for walls, partitions, exterior facades and curtain walls to sculptural glassware and objets d’art, Lasvit is best known for its massive, spectacular bespoke glass chandeliers and art installations. While Lasvit has a strong presence in residential, commercial, retail and cultural spaces, its hospitality portfolio is its most impressive. Lasvit’s glass and light installations grace some of the most prestigious hotels around the world—the list includes Jumeirah at Etihad Towers in Abu Dhabi, Four Seasons Hotel Moscow, Park Hyatt Zurich, Fairmont Singapore, Lotte World Tower in Seoul, The St Regis Macao, The Peninsula Paris, Shangri-la Bosphorus in Istanbul, The Langham Chicago and The Mira Hong Kong— and they almost always evoke a reaction of awe in all who see them.
According to Lasvit’s creative director, Maxim Velčovský, the brand’s reputation as an expert in glass installation is based on the fact that each product is original and handmade, and every piece fulfils aesthetic and craftsmanship requirements while expressing the brand’s overall approach to beauty. “What we do at Lasvit is based on art and craft, fuelled by imagination, storytelling and authenticity,” says Velčovský. “We seek the original signature styles of designers whose visions are imprinted into glass, endowing each new piece with never-before-seen attributes. Our company is not bound by any doctrines, so openness and creativity guide our work. Our clients have come to admire the freedom with which we approach design. With a Lasvit creation, our clients not only get a beautiful light or glass object, but also the guarantee that the artistic and aesthetic value of the product will always remain very high.”
CREATIVE LIBERTY
Lasvit values good communication among its team members and with clients, and Velčovský believes it is important that the brand’s designers have enough freedom to develop their best ideas. “Our company culture incorporates a highly progressive and flexible approach while maintaining high standards,” he says. “We’ve been fortunate to attract people who live with their heart and soul—talented people who want to be a part of this story of Czech glass and help make Lasvit the first Czech brand to have a global presence in this luxury segment.” The company does much to nurture new talent, including supporting the education of talented young designers in the field, and offering them apprenticeships with the OPPOSITE PAGE Titled Symphony, this dazzling Lasvit lighting installation at Dubai Opera was inspired by fishing nets that are caught in a vortex that rises from the depths of the ocean best glassmakers and designers in the world. “Lasvit makes it possible for young people to see leaders in the field as they work and learn from them,” says Velčovský. Besides its in-house team, Lasvit also collaborates with famous designers such Maarten Baas, Fernando and Humberto Campana, Patricia Urquiola, Arik Levy, Daniel Libeskind, and Czech glassware
“LASVIT STRIVES TO EXPERIMENT AND PUSH THE BOUNDARIES OF WHAT HAS BEEN PROVEN POSSIBLE”
icon René Roubícek. “We are consistently expanding our portfolio of collaborations with the world’s best designers,” says Jakimič. “At this year’s Euroluce exhibition in Milan, we presented new collections designed by Kengo Kuma and Zaha Hadid Design Studio.”
DYNAMIC INNOVATION
The spirit of innovation and experimentation, which has set Lasvit apart from other Bohemian glass manufacturers, led to the development of new products that have never been attempted before. In 2014, Lasvit launched its motions range of dynamically lit kinetic-lighting sculptures, which project video-mapped images and respond to music and input from user devices, and even the movement of people standing below them. One such sculpture is the Supernova, a kinetic installation that was recently installed in Russia’s Sochi Casino. This large-scale glass sculpture, programmable through an iphone or an ipad, interacts with the movements of the spectators around it, functioning as a game console without manual controls that respond only to the movements of the human body. Another technologically complex project was the Symphony, created for the Dubai Opera. This dynamically-lit installation consists of thousands of crystal components mounted on a complex metal construction comprising many sections. Most of these glass components contain a programmable light source, which presents beautifully lighted scenes. BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY The oldest archaeological evidence of Bohemian glassmaking sites dates to around 1250 in the Lusatian Mountains of northern Bohemia. This area, now part of the Czech Republic, is renowned for its blown, hand-cut, engraved and painted decorative glassware. The country has numerous glassmaking and glass craft schools and studios, which attract a mix of local and foreign students. Glass products ranging from jewellery and delicate champagne flutes to enormous, elaborate chandeliers are some of the best-known Czech exports.
Another iconic piece is Neurons—an installation designed for Bangkok’s Mahidol University that responds to music with a change in lighting effects. Currently, Lasvit is working on its largest and most complex dynamic installation—two 80-metre-long Chinese imperial dragons for the Saipan Casino in the Northern Mariana Islands. The entire installation weighs 40 tonnes and is a contender for the Guinness World Record as the “largest piece of crystal jewellery in the world”. While the scale and inventiveness of these projects are certainly challenging, Jakimič says he and his team enjoy nothing more than trying out new ideas. “During each project, Lasvit strives to experiment and push the boundaries of what has been proven possible,” he says. “We place great importance on creativity and authenticity, and on reflecting the vision of the client as well as the designers in our works.”
THE CZECH LEGACY
Besides creating installations that capture the zeitgeist of our tech-driven age, Lasvit is also concerned with preserving the legacy of Bohemian glass craft. Lasvit has a team of master craftsmen dedicated to the restoration of period lighting. Its most recent project involved the restoration of four 18th century Bohemian crystal chandeliers located in Milan’s Palazzo Serbelloni. In order to return these historical treasures to their former glory, Lasvit produced and replaced the chandeliers’ hand-cut crystal trimmings, hand-blown and cut components, and mould-melted and cut-glass arms. The Lasvit restoration team retained as many original components of the chandeliers as possible (despite traces of age, scratches and minor damage) in order to preserve their authentic character. “The original crystal components were dismantled and shipped to Lasvit’s glassworks in the Czech Republic—back to our factory in northern Bohemia, the birthplace of the Bohemian crystal glassmaking tradition, and where the chandeliers were likely first made in the late 1700s, thus completing a historic and creative full-circle,” says Jakimič.