Prague Jewellery Box

Czech glass and crystal are known worldwide and are currently among the most popular materials on the domestic design scene. For some years now, thanks to young talents who are keen to experiment and imaginative manufacturers, one can speak of a veritable renaissance of glass art. Today, renowned designers and talented artisans are working together not only to maintain the centuries-old tradition, but to raise it to the next level. No wonder that Bomma's first own showroom in Prague should be more than just a display place for the manufacturer's lighting collections. With the "Dům Diamond" from the Cubist era, it has found an impressively historic flat in the middle of Prague's Old Town, which has served as a meeting place for the arts since 2021. The flat combines original, custom-made, functional furniture from the inventory with newly added objects from leading contemporary design manufacturers such as Ligne Roset, Vitra, Laufen or Agapecasa and is intended to open a dialogue about the possibilities and opportunities of this industry.

The star of the entire set-up: the house designed by architect Emil Králíček in 1912 in its unique design. Even entering the staircase is an experience in itself, using the antique lift the perfect way to get in the mood for a visit to the studio. This is located in a flat rented directly from the descendants of the original owner, the writer and politician Adolf Hoffmeister. As a leading figure of the avant-garde of the First Republic, Hoffmeister attached great importance to a meticulously thought-out use and connection of the premises, where he also often received guests. This aura is still in the air today.

The creative director of Bomma, Václav Mlynář, brought the Italian interior designer Sophie Wannenes on board to implement the concept. In addition to the design objects, all the artworks were also selected by the creative duo, such as those by Matyáš Chochola, Michaela Karásek Čejková, Veronika Drahotová, Alena Kotzmannová, or Peter Fabo. The newly designed artistic concept respects the original atypical architecture of the space. At the same time, the showroom is less like a static museum and more like a living organism: it is intended to be constantly developed over the years. Mlynář is already thinking about collaborations with creative people from all over the world: the variety of possibilities to use such a characteristic existing object and to reinvent it again and again is particularly appealing to the designer. In collaboration with the local art gallery DSC Gallery, the unique historical ambience is to become a creative centre – a lively space for inspiration, discussions and encounters, both for professionals and for the general public. Guests and designers are also invited to spend time in the studio as residents and to help shape it.