formafantasma designs water purification crystal collection for J.& L. lobmeyr

formafantasma water purification crystal collection for J.& L. lobmeyr
‘alphabet collection’, 2014
all images courtesy formafantasma

like with their previous project ‘charcoal’ for vitra design museum, and ‘the stranger within’, commissioned by the MAK museum in vienna, italian designers andrea trimarchi and simone farresin of studio formafantasma present their latest products developed for viennese crystal company J. & L. lobmeyr.

designed for the geymüllerschlössel’s dining room as part of the site specific installation ‘the stranger within’, commissioned by the MAK museum in vienna, the ‘alphabet‘ collection is composed by twelve wine and water glasses. each is engraved with a different pattern, all of which refer both to the archive of the company, and the decor in the house, suggesting a different way of arranging the pieces on the table.

two thin lines in gold suggest a perfect alignment 

the glasses are conceived to be displayed upside down and one inside the other. like a crystal dome used to cover still-life arrangements, the bigger glass protects the smaller one and the two engraved patterns, due to the transparency of the material, are combining in a new motif.

crystal wine carafe

 ‘still colllection’

‘water covers 70% of the Earth’s surface and it is vital for all known forms of life. only 2.5% of the Earth’s water is freshwater, while less than 0.3% of all freshwater is found in rivers, lakes, and the atmosphere.’ – formafantasma

‘still’ is a collection of carefully engraved crystals, designed to serve the most humble and fundamental of all drinks: tap water. the craftsmanship expressed in the engravings, the aerial proportions of the copper filters and their subtle religious references invite the user to handle the pieces carefully, transforming their gestures into a filtration ritual.

‘still’ features two customized versions of the candy dish designed by oswald haerdtl for the company in 1925. a series of copper cups reference the drinking service no.267 ‘alpha’ designed by hans herald rath

 the collection pairs crystal with copper and activated charcoal to improve the taste and purity of tap water

the crystals are engraved with two different patterns: one is a contemporary microscopic view of bacteria found in rivers, while the other is a 19th century representation of an organism that lives in the oceans and is characterized by having a skeleton made of silica, the main element of glass.

crystal engraving detail

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