Glass is a mystery (no, really)

July 30, 2008

Scientists have been arguing for decades as to the true nature of glass - liquid or solid. It has characteristics of both but, despite convincing theories on both sides, is actually neither. The definition of precisely what it is and how it works from a physical point of view is a conundrum that has taken the time of Nobel laureates and is unlikely to be solved in this post…

For more than any human being with a job, friends, a schedule or just a pet mouse could possibly want to know about glass, the Science Section of the NY Times just did a pretty comprehensive piece on the subject. When your friends make fun of you for dropping some of your new-found knowledge into casual conversation (as well they should), just blame it on us.

The Dynamo

February 28, 2008

Like the city he lives in, Roman Vrtiska is as young and raw as he is mature and experienced. It’s no wonder this quirky designer finds his home town of Prague - a place where you’ll see a funky fresh juice bar next to a Gothic cathedral - as a constant playground for inspiration.

Understanding the dynamic between old and new allows Roman to play with that tension. For Teroforma, Roman redesigned a vintage carafe produced by Kvetna Glassworks called the Cartouche. He took the original 1873 design and focused on finding new solutions for the traditional shape, taking into consideration the role of an object when it’s not in use.

It’s hard to pin down exactly where Roman finds his inspiration given the breadth of his interests – from street art to music to architecture. “If you are looking at the street with an open mind, you can find inspiration in everything,” he says over the phone, after explaining his definition of functional simplicity. You begin to see what he means when he tells you his favorite place is 45°56′14.825″N, 10°48′56.692″E.

For Roman Vrtiska, the world is not places, it’s a deep and open mind.