CGD

“I enjoy making sculptures more than designing. A chandelier was the perfect assignment for me." Rony Plesl

Empress Marie Therese is said to have liked tall, robust and broad-shouldered soldiers. For this reason, she would have appreciated Merkur – a chandelier that follows in the tradition of the famous Teresian chandeliers that date back to 1743 when the first of their kind, Terezián, was made on the occasion of her coronation.

Designer Rony Plesl, however, designed his "Teresian chandelier" for Preciosa Lighting in his own way – no beads, no pointless decorative details. Ignoring glass, he utilised only the silhouette of the old Teresian chandeliers which have remained unchanged for centuries. Inspired by a male body shape, he created a "tough guy" weighing 110kg – a chandelier from sprayed polished stainless steel. (Venuše chandelier was inspired by a female body shape.) The structure is variable, enabling both horizontal and vertical silhouettes to be created. The individual arms (18 in total, with four LED sources on each) can be adjusted as required by the owner or interior design. There are two versions: double arms can be adjusted by hand (you get a reading lamp); single arms must be adjusted with a hex key. The red cable symbolises invigorating blood.

Rony Plesl explains: "The most important thing for me is not to design a single chandelier but an entire concept that can be followed up in the future." A glass designer unconcerned by trends, his work is exhibited all over the world. "I like objects with historic 'edge", he adds, which perhaps explains how he came up with this self-confident industrial idea of following the past instead of dusting off the iconic Teresian chandelier. After all, history is close to his heart since he worked for several years at the Italian glassworks Barovier & Toso. Established in 1295, the glassworks is the oldest company in the world still in existence. "They taught me not to design things that can be found just anywhere, but to focus on things for which the brand has been renowned for centuries. Preciosa's strength is its craftsmanship."

First presented at the Euroluce trade fair in Milan, Plesl's response to history has won much acclaim, including among the loft-apartment owners of New York who have come to appreciate his linking of history with the present.

Alena Řezníčková