Lobmeyr

For more than two centuries, J. & L. Lobmeyr has shaped the way Vienna understands glass: not merely as a precious material, but as a refined part of everyday culture. Founded by Josef Lobmeyr in 1823, the small shop on Weihburggasse grew into an internationally respected family company. Its glassware soon reached the Austrian imperial court and the major world exhibitions of the nineteenth century. Today, sixth-generation cousins Andreas, Leonid and Johannes Rath guide the house with a distinctive balance of historical awareness, curiosity and creative independence.

Lobmeyr is particularly celebrated for its mouth-blown muslin glass. Remarkably thin and light, it appears almost weightless in the hand. This delicacy changes the experience of drinking: the vessel becomes discreet, allowing the colour, aroma and character of its contents to come forward. Yet such visual simplicity can only be achieved through exceptional skill. Many individual stages of production, repeated quality inspections and specialised techniques including cutting, engraving and painting give every piece its own subtle character.

The company’s second great discipline is light. Lobmeyr chandeliers and lighting objects are created through demanding manual processes in Vienna, ranging from intimate designs for private interiors to monumental installations for hotels, palaces and opera houses. Among the most celebrated commissions are the crystal chandeliers for the Vienna State Opera and New York’s Metropolitan Opera. Restoration remains equally important: historic lighting is carefully maintained and reconstructed using knowledge that survives within the company across generations.

Collaboration has always been essential to Lobmeyr’s identity. Josef Hoffmann, Adolf Loos and Oswald Haerdtl helped establish its modernist legacy, while later partnerships with Ted Muehling, Michael Anastassiades, Formafantasma and a new generation of designers continue to expand its vocabulary. Lobmeyr treats tradition as a living resource rather than a fixed style. This has produced objects that belong unmistakably to their period yet resist becoming dated – quiet, precise designs whose beauty reveals itself gradually through use.

Hans Harald Rath’s Alpha series, designed in 1952, captures this philosophy particularly well. Its compact silhouette was inspired by a historical copper beaker, but the result belongs entirely to modern life. Balanced in the hand, practical to stack and available in softly luminous colours, Alpha combines intelligent function with an almost playful elegance. It is both a design classic and a remarkably relaxed glass for the everyday table.

Contemporum. presents a considered selection of Lobmeyr glasses and carafes: objects of exceptional craftsmanship intended to be enjoyed rather than merely admired. Further shapes, colours and complete series from the extensive Lobmeyr collection can naturally be supplied on request.