BROKIS . 7
6 . BROKIS
BROKIS IN TIME
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.
Each BROKIS light is a genuine original, a functional work of art
as captivating by day as it is by night. 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.
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 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.
