SimplyAbuDhabi XIV

3 0 1 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I The Jumeirah at Etihad Towers, Abu Dhabi – Oculus. The One Park Gubei, Shanghai – Mist. G lass is a hot topic, blistering hot. When optical illusion meets craft and tradition, spectacular things happen. Tracing the roots of the Bohemian glassmaking art from its very beginnings, Lasvit continues the art and craft of glassmaking today in the Czech Republic. Empires come and go, but glass is forever. The Elements of Beauty If you’ve ever seen red hot glass emerge from a furnace, glowing and almost liquid, you already understand that the story of glass is the story of the Earth; born in fire, molten and slowly cooling to beauty beyond compare. Interestingly, the Dubai Metro is a close-by example of this truth: the Al Rigga Station, themed Fire and the Khalid Bin Al Waleed, Water, each have their origins in liquid, glowing, molten glass. These breathtaking glass art installations were created by Czech company Lasvit, the world leader and heir of this magical tradition. Lasvit breathes life into glass to create installations and objects that appeal to design enthusiasts in the same way they once did to emperors. In Lasvit’s artistic view, Abu Dhabi is like glass. It combines all the elements of beauty, mysticism and luxury available in the Emirates culture with modernity and strength. Whatever one desires can be found here, be it among the world- famous ultramodern skyscrapers or below the shadow of the palm trees on the coast. Abu Dhabi, the tallest, fastest and most modern of current destinations, is still a place of dreams, magic, exotic tastes and fragrances, as much as it is a place of business. Its history of beauty, comfort and luxury dates back an entire millennium. Like silk strands, the ancient and the modern connect here in a unique blend of strength and beauty. It is a heritage that Abu Dhabi shares with Bohemia. Somewhere in Central Europe, surrounded by mountain ranges, centuries ago, Bohemian craftsmen found a new way of expressing their remarkable sense for delicate beauty. They artfully developed methods of working with crystal, becoming famous glass-blowers, engravers and skilled teachers of the glass-making arts in both neighbouring and distant countries. Today, countless generations of Bohemian glassblowers advance the craft, their creative power and technique translated into exquisite creations to enhance the modern world.