At this year's prestigious Designblok 2024 festival, the Květná 1794 glassworks captivated both the jury and visitors, earning the award for Best Manufacturer Presentation. The exhibition, designed by Klára Janypková and Tomáš Kučera, impressed with its poetic installation titled “The Sound of Tradition.”
The centerpiece of the exhibition was a delicate glass chime—a garden of glasses mounted on slender metal stems that seemed to dance in an invisible breeze. Their gentle swaying and mutual contact created a unique acoustic experience.
“We wanted the design to reflect the glassworks and its thin-walled, elegant products, which are distinguished not only by their appearance but also by their characteristic sound when tapped. The conceptual journey toward the design of the kinetic 'glass garden' was therefore relatively straightforward, but the actual execution and construction development took quite a bit of time,” explained Klára Janypková, the lead designer of the glassworks.
The installation evoked a sense of fragility and strength simultaneously, as if each elegant, transparent glass embodied the enduring power of tradition that transcends time.
“The final version was preceded by dozens of 3D digital models and one physical prototype. We tested the movement mechanism with various components and materials. The effort paid off, as the entire installation can be disassembled and transported quite efficiently. After Designblok, it was displayed at several other locations,” Janypková revealed.
“The Sound of Tradition” perfectly embodies the core values of the Květná 1794 glassworks—tradition, innovation, and unwavering production quality. This award-winning installation stands as proof that the Czech glassmaking tradition is a living legacy, retaining its strength and beauty, and that modern design can thoughtfully build on the heritage of previous generations.
“The award is both a reward for our efforts and a motivation for future work. I hope it serves as inspiration not just for us but for the entire glassworks,” added Klára Janypková.
The exhibition is now open to the public at the Moravian Gallery in Brno.
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