The Unda glass was created for Nationalmuseum, Sweden’s newly renovated museum of art and design. Matti Klenell, Carina Seth Andersson and a large team of designers were in charge of the thorough remake of the bar and restaurant. The glasses have a basic functional form with an artisanal quality. Together with the large carafe, which can hold stacked Unda glasses on top, the entire collection is an ideal centerpiece for any table.
The name Unda derives from the Latin, meaning water and wave, and its shifting reflections are tailored for any tabletop. “I grew up around glass-blowing,” says Matti Klenell. “I used to work extra in the glass studio as a kid, and it was hardly magical. All that talk of the white, flowing mass cooling into precise materiality – I mean: it’s hot, it burns! But I know the drill; I can go with the rhythm, and it’s fast and direct, not like assembling a puzzle, the way furniture design can be. Glass is a culture all its own, and when it works, the outcome is fantastic!” The contrast between the artisanal hand-made glass and its functional, almost Bauhaus-inspired form makes the Unda glass at home in any modern setting. To achieve the distinctive, vivid colors, the hot colored glass is caught, covered with a clear layer, and then blown into its definitive shape. The process is chosen for its durability, in contrast to spray paint, which easily scratches. “The ridge on the Unda glass gives you a tactile feel that surpasses the visual, and the V-shape makes them easy to stack without getting stuck. The ridge also indicates the suitable fill level of the carafe.”