nouvel limited reveals blown glass collection by mexican designers at design miami/basel

during design miami/ basel 2018, high-end mexican glass manufacturer nouvel limited showcases fifteen pieces made of blown glass, brass, and steel, which — as the designers describe the new collection — take glass design to new heights. the series on show features sculptures created by designers héctor esrawe, emiliano godoy, and brian thoreen which go under the name ‘precarius’, and EWE studio-designed wall lights ‘magma’.

for several months before the annual event in switzerland, esrawe, godoy, and thoreen worked side by side with the designers and artisans of nouvel limited to develop risky pieces of unusual dimensions for the field of glass design to vividly display the controversial conversation between the materials, which are, at first sight, unjoinable — subtle glass and cold metal. 

the designers’ work results in very natural yet monumental lines of glass pieces formed around rough and rigid metal plates. highlighting the perfection and beauty of the company’s materials, the transparent glass of warm brown color confronts brass and steel which came right from the rolling mill and are prepared by a local metalsmith.

EWE studio’s lighting sculptures are special not only for their shapes but also for the production process — the spherical part of each piece was blown with the help of a hand-carved mold from a volcanic stone. this material has been chosen for its resistance to high temperatures of the blown glass. 

after the shapes are ready, the designers process the glass surfaces and brass inner parts with an acid finish to generate ethereal golden light. as this work is artisanal, each magma bubble’s shape, thickness, and tonality are unique. 

apart from their complete grandeur, the sculptures are complemented by the fair’s space called ‘curio’. installed in a box, inner walls of which are covered with violet and red hues, magma and precarius obtain a new sophisticated look, which proves the pieces’ ability to fit different ambiances.

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designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: maria erman | designboom