Tradition, design and gastronomy: How was the unique Alchymist glass collection for Štangl restaurant created?
A tasting dinner at Štangl
The Květná glassworks, founded in 1794, is a legend in the industry. Located on the very border with Slovakia, it is famous for its fine, thin-walled glass which combines centuries of tradition with innovative processes. As the designer Klára Janypková says "The precise processing of thin-walled glass is something that Květná really excels at. It's not an entirely common discipline and it takes a lot of experience to master it well."
The glass is produced at Květná, hand-blown from a single piece of material. This is especially crucial for wine glasses, where the stem and stemware are not glued to the chalice, but are hand-shaped by a master glassmaker just after the chalice is blown.
"Machine-made glasses are usually do not reach the same thinness as handmade ones. Moreover, a machine will not produce a glass from a single piece of glass. Such glass is then less strong and more susceptible to damage," adds Eva Prietz Baďurová, a technologist at Květná 1794. Each piece passes through the hands of of master glassmakers, cutters and quality controllers before it reaches the customer.
Alchemical inspiration and minimalist design
It is the mastery of the glassmakers in Květná and their ability to work with such thin-walled glass was the key to the creation of Alchymist collection. The renowned studio behind the design for the Štangl restaurant is Olgoj Chorchoj, with whom Ambiente has long cooperated.
"Thanks to the traditional technique of working with rotational shapes, designing glasses in Květná is a relatively direct route to a prototype," says designer Michal Froněk. He adds that despite its apparent simplicity, it is necessary to know the technology of the glassworks. The super-thin foot is four millimetres long. This is such a given that it already springs, but it still lasts. The glassmakers there know how to do it like nowhere else in the world," he explains.
The collection was inspired by alchemy, where the combination of form and function leads to to transform raw materials into something precious. "My wife, architect Tereza Froňková, designed the interior of the restaurant Štangland when I watched it, I realised it was alchemy. I associated it with the shapes of the vessels in the Baroque court of Rudolf II. I started sketching some flasks and spherical vessels and and that's where the whole idea came from.," explains Froněk. The shape of each jar is based on from the pure geometry of the sphere and is designed to reveal the subtlest aromas and flavours of a wide range of wines.
The collection was intensively consulted with the sommeliers at Stangl and also with Martin Kleveta head sommelier of Gordon Ramsay's London restaurant. He worked closely with the Stangl team remotely from England. Martin's experience from Michelin-starred restaurants and his knowledge of global glassworks such as Lehmann in France went into every detail.
He made sure, for example, that the Chardonnay glasses had a large belly for better flavour perception while being light enough for maximum elegance.. It was also important to him that the glasses not to be too long so that the guests could see over them, contributing to a pleasant atmosphere at the table. Another of the sommelier's tips was not to have too many different shapes of glasses.
Together with the designer Froňek, they were looking for a compromise between large wine shapes and a more intimate, minimalist size that wouldn't take up too much space on the table and at the same time meet the strict parameters for tasting.
The Alchymist glassware collection is thus another piece of Stangl's sophisticated concept. "We wanted to complement our concept, which is based on locality and seasonality, with locally produced glasses. And we have succeeded in doing this together with the Olgoj Chorchoj studio and the Květná glassworks," adds the chef Martin Štangl.
Simplicity that lasts
In spite of the thinness of the glass, which somewhere is only 6 mm, the collection is designed to endure even frequent washing in the dishwasher which is crucial in restaurants. "This glass, which is also called muslin glass, lasts a really long time," confirms Michal Froněk. On the stem of each glass there is a fine sandblasted logo of Květná and Štangl which does not interfere with the clean design.
The collaboration between the Květná glassworks, the Olgoj Chorchoj studio and the Štangl restaurant is proof that the combination of tradition, innovative design and local ingredients can produce truly exceptional results that enhance the gastronomic experience.
