CGD

Čapek is a designer of the utmost versatility, although the wider public associates his name mainly with plastics - since he has not left his mark on the history of design only by his inflatable toys for the Napajedla company, Fatra, but mainly by his designs of PET bottles. He has already shown several times in this field, which he entered more than a decade ago via his work for the Karlovy Vary Mineral Waters (starting with the Mattoni Sport and Mattoni bottles), that even the most commonplace object of everyday use has its right to extraordinary conception and elaboration.

Čapek approaches every design of a PET bottle as a new challenge. It was the same with designing a bottle for the traditional Slovak mineral water, Fatra (the two companies having the same name is pure coincidence). Three years of rather complex work resulted in something of a jewel among PET bottles. Its entire surface, including the base (!), is formed by more than ten thousand facets. It is as if the author, who initially studied cutting and engraving precious stones at the Secondary School of Applied Arts in Turnov, echoed his gem cutter's experience in its crystalline structure. The non-traditional design entailed very demanding work in multiple 3D programs and was a stumper even for the production itself. As far as the aesthetic and technological aspects are concerned, the final result is indeed remarkable and unique: simply put, Čapek created an object which is visually attractive, original in shape and exciting to touch. And moreover, he keeps advancing further and higher in his "PET" career – his cobblestone "flasks" with loops, created for the Hostivař Mini Brewery, were introduced to the market last year, and he is currently developing PET bottles-bricks in cooperation with the Czech Technical University and Mattoni, which have high potential for multifunctional use in, among others, the field of architecture.

The asset of undertakings of this kind is that innovative and high-quality design is becoming available for all. It produces a beautiful, utilitarian object which as if merely incidentally influences people's mood, feelings, style and, last but not least, naturally also taste.

Tereza Bruthansová