Soft Touch of Brutalism

29 April 2025, Karlovy Vary – Moser’s new arrival combines the seemingly uncombinable – the uncompromising aesthetics of brutalism and hand-blown crystal. In Magnus, the creative director of Moser, Jan Plecháč, transformed his long-time fascination with brutalist architecture into solitaires that surprise not just by their volume but also by their emotional depth. The collection comes at a time when brutalism is experiencing its renaissance – and Magnus presents it in its crystal interpretation. In his designs, Jan Plecháč put to use his architectural education and materialised the typical shapes of the style into the striking outlines and proportions of the vases, whose mass and colour draw on the aesthetics that have heavily influenced architecture and visual culture of the 60s and 70s.

“Brutalist structures provoke, command respect, and inspire awe. They stand out through the distinctive penmanship of the author, who lends them uniqueness. And the Magnus collection is no different,” says Jan Plecháč, the creative director of Moser. Each vase from the collection has its own character and scale, yet they are tied together by a unified visual language. Just like architectonic volumes communicate with each other yet retain their individuality.

The colour palette is inspired by interiors typical of brutalist aesthetics, which were dominated by warm, earthy shades with an undertone of brown and orange. This is achieved by the traditional technique of underlaying, which makes it possible to layer colours. For the first time ever in the glassworks’ history, this led to the combination of topaz and blue, creating a new yellow-green shade. This unusual combination also creates a delicate smoky effect. Each piece is thus an original and a result of colour alchemy that has its firm place in the glassworks.

Magnus is also a homage to courage – specifically the courage showed a century ago by Leo Moser, the son of the founder of the glassworks, when he headed out to Berlin laboratories to work alongside chemists to formulate a wholly unique spectrum of colours. “I wish to build upon that courage. To be the energy that moves Moser forward,” adds Jan Plecháč. The collection thus intermingles the past with the future – a monumental style with the delicacy of handiwork, the faith in traditional handicraft with the power of a creative vision.

Details of the Magnus collection:

Magnus vase 17.5 cm, price: EUR 900
Magnus vase 26 cm, price: EUR 2 800
Magnus vase 36.5 cm, price: EUR 4 500

Photos for download here.

About Moser

MOSER, a.s., based in Karlovy Vary, has been devoted exclusively to handmade glass production for 168 years. Its high-quality, lead-free crystal artworks have successfully conquered both the Czech and foreign markets. Thanks to this, today the company is one of the leading Czech exporters and represents the art of Czech glassmakers on the world stage. Moser is a member of the French association Comité Colbert, focused on maintaining and cultivating the traditional handmade production of luxury products. A key moment for the glassworks was the recent addition of handmade glass production to UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Likewise, there was major success at the Czech Grand Design awards, where the collection Soul of the Forest won Producer of the Year, and its art director Jan Plecháč won the Designer of the Year award, becoming absolute winner. You can learn more at www.moser.com.

Contact for the media

Barbora Vondalová
MOSER, a.s.
barbora.vondalova@moser.com
+420 731 466 851