NextGen Design for NACHTMANN

What happens when curiosity and creativity meet tradition and craftsmanship?

Emerging designers from around the world are designing for NACHTMANN

NACHTMANN's heritage as a Bavarian glassmaker stretches back over two centuries. We respect our past, of course, but we are eager to shape our future.
Looking ahead, we are on a constant quest to find the next generation of talented glassware designers. This search takes us to our own design studios and to leading art colleges around the world. So far, we have tapped into young design talent in Prague, Tokyo, New York, Stockholm, Stuttgart, Beijing, London and Sydney. The results have been creatively and commercially uplifting. Fusing cutting-edge ideas with traditional craft skills, we are creating the next generation of modern classics in glass.
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NextGen Design for NACHTMANN

NACHTMANN Jules

by Oliver Bryant, 2019

"Jet turbines spoke to me because of the inherent tension between their precise, intricate appearance, and their potential..."

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NextGen Design for NACHTMANN

NACHTMANN Punk

by Anke Buchmann, 2017

"I was drawn to 'Punk' as a theme because my college played a part in the start of the Punk movement, 40 years ago..."

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NextGen Design for NACHTMANN

NACHTMANN Shu Fa

by Gong Yining & Mao Churong, 2016

"'Designed in China - Made in Germany' was our theme and we had centuries of Chinese culture to inspire us..."

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NextGen Design for NACHTMANN

NACHTMANN Sculpture

by Ahmet Uslu, 2012

"When I moved from Turkey to Sweden to study design I never imagined myself designing glassware..."

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The small oval NACHTMANN Quartz vase filled with white roses in front of the tall NACHTMANN Quartz vase filled with white flowers on a sideboard made of dark wood.<br/>

NextGen Design for NACHTMANN

NACHTMANN Quartz

by Catherine Merrick, 2011

"I'm originally from Connecticut and Las Vegas, the most and least conservative places in the USA..."

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Innovative and creative work

To date, NACHTMANN NextGen design competitions have been held in New York, Stockholm, Tokyo, Prague, Beijing, Stuttgart, London, and Sydney.
“We are delighted that our NACHTMANN NextGen competitions have inspired up-and-coming young international designers to produce such innovative and creative work, which we are now proud to number among our most successful product categories."

Richard Voit

CEO

The NACHTMANN Jules crystal glass series on a round serving tray. The pitcher and the tumbler are filled with water, ice cubes and lemon slices, to their right is lavender. The goblet is filled with red wine. The longdrink glass in the background is empty.<br/>

NACHTMANN Jules

"How tradition and industry inspired functional modern design."

by Oliver Bryant, 2019

Jet turbines spoke to me because the inherent tension between their precise, intricate appearance, and their potential for power and force. I wanted to embody a feeling of robust strength that was at the same time delicate and refined to the touch. I tried to visualise the feeling of air streaming through a jet in a single static moment. Capturing the feeling of intense power while retaining a sense of refinement and delicateness in the fine lines and ridges of the range. When in flight, a jet gathers and distorts the air, and this is mirrored by the way the curves of the pattern gather and refract light.

// Oliver named the series after his grandmother, who was born in Austria.

This trip was the first time I was able to visit some of the places they grew up, giving me a new sense of connection and understanding with them.

The NACHTMANN Punk whisky tumbler and the longdrink glass lying on a leather jacket with rivets and a chain.<br/>

NACHTMANN Punk

"How my punk attitude smashed the image of crystal"

by Anke Buchmann, 2017

In an art college environment that encourages edginess and unconventional creativity, my urge - in tune with the Punk movement - was to rebel and break out of the ordinary. I began by sketching some of the surfaces and textures of Punk, such as studs, spikes and grids.

Moving on from these liternal translations of key Punk visuals, I progressed to a broader interpretation of the movement, letting the attitude shape the form. I carefully researched NACHTMANN's approach to texture and patterns so I could merge this with the Punk style.

Designing a set of barware featuring areas that break out from the normal shape of the vessel, I broke out of the ordinary. Celebrating Punk's 40th anniversary, I also marked the juxtaposition of Punk and luxury, a trand that's currently making waves in fashion.

The NACHTMANN series Shu Fa with the longdrink glass and the with whisky filled tumbler on a stone serving tray.<br/>

NACHTMANN Shu Fa

"How we found a whisky glass on a Chinese mountain"

by Mao Churong and Gong Yining, 2016

Looking for inspiration, we examined Chinese calligraphy, in particular traditional calligraphic ink paintings. We were looking for a symbol or a letter stroke that could be translated into a shape in glass.

A stroke called 'pimacin', used to depict the structure and texture of mountain rock, had all the right attributes. As we explored the shape of each single stroke, our experiments with a 3D version proved that it could be applied to a vessel with dramatic results.

Treating the glass as our canvas, with the stroke creating an interesting texture and rhythm, our idea came to life in a striking way. To use, the calligraphic stroke we chose is gentle yet strong, and it works well in the medium of glass.

The NACHTMANN Sculpture Whiskey decanter besides the NACHTMANN Sculpture Whiskey tumbler, both of them filled with Whiskey. In the background an empty Sculpture tumbler on a serving tray.<br/>

NACHTMANN Sculpture

"How I turned solid rock into crystal"

by Ahmet Uslo, 2012
The small oval NACHTMANN Quartz vase filled with white roses in front of the tall NACHTMANN Quartz vase filled with white flowers on a sideboard made of dark wood.<br/>

NACHTMANN Quartz

"How I found Quartz near the East River"

by Catherine Merrick, 2011