KOLEKCE
BROKIS
5-5
PRESERVING
THE BOHEMIAN
GLASSBLOWING
TRADITION
BROKIS – a synthesis of exquisite design, superior quality, and the
skill of master artisans continuing the centuries-old Bohemian
glassmaking tradition. BROKIS lighting collections have achieved
international acclaim by combining handblown glass with other
refined materials, such as handcrafted wood and metal, in bold
compositions that push the boundaries not only of contemporary
lighting design but of the technologies applied in production. The
family-run premium brand works with select designers from around
the world and operates its own historical glassworks southeast
of Prague.
BROKIS is the brainchild of successful Czech entrepreneur
Jan Rabell. In 2006, he founded the brand as a platform to revitalize
and elevate Bohemian glassmaking to new heights and preserve
generations of knowledge and craftsmanship. Nearly ten years
prior, in 1997, he acquired the ailing Janštejn Glassworks, which
was established at the start of the 19th century approximately 140
kilometres southeast of Prague.
Demand for traditional products had declined significantly, many of
the glassmakers were growing old and leaving, and time-honoured
technologies and techniques were at risk of being lost. Mr. Rabell’s
vision was to restore the factory to its former prestige and ensure
that the ages-old Bohemian glassmaking tradition endured into the
21st century.
With BROKIS, Jan Rabell created a lighting brand offering entirely
different products than those previously produced at Janštejn
Glassworks. Several new Italian-style furnaces were built, and
production techniques were refined. Some, such as grinding
and glass painting, were discontinued, and others were
revived, like glassblowing using optic moulds and traditional
hotshop techniques. Original and nearly forgotten formulas
for manufacturing coloured glass were reinstated and are now
characteristic of the BROKIS brand. Therefore, it brings us great
joy that in 2023 Czech handmade glass was inscribed in UNESCO’s
Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
BROKIS has firmly established itself as a leading innovator in
glass lighting. For example, the complex technology applied
in manufacturing the Night Birds collection, which consists of
imposing yet elegant curved glass silhouettes of birds in various
phases of flight, required two years of experimentation to perfect.
BROKIS is constantly developing new technologies for its lights in
order to offer consistent industry-leading quality and innovation
throughout its global product portfolio, such as with a special
original connector, the sustainable material called BROKISGLASS,
and TRIMLESS, a sleek new system for hanging pendent lights from
lowered drywall ceilings. BROKIS has also recently developed a
series of configurators for some of its most popular collections.
These powerful online tools let customers create their very own
bespoke lighting compositions in a user-friendly, intuitive interface.
BROKIS also maintains a strong online presence through a series of
innovative initiatives, such as BROKIS VIRTUAL PROJECTS and the
unique MyBrokis application. In January of 2022, BROKIS launched
a website within Janštejn Glass Group (JGG).Today, BROKIS and
Janštejn Glassworks employ more than 100 people and enjoy
a unique symbiosis that has allowed BROKIS to establish sales
operations in 120 countries and regularly showcase its renowned
lighting collections at the world’s top design shows.
