operatic drama: neverending glory collection

One of the things I miss about New York is easy access to the zillions of great shops with modern and cool home goods (everything here leans pretty conservative). The Conran Shop, now closed, was one of those shops I liked to take a spin through, especially their lighting department. So occasionally I check out the website of the original London shop. You can't find pieces like these beautiful glass pendants here (though, luckily, you can find them in New York).

Designed by Czech partners Jan Plechách and Henry Wielgus for Lasvit, these handblown crystal glass lampshades are directly inspired by the grand chandeliers found in opera houses worldwide. There are five designs of the Neverending Glory collection:

Bolshoi Theatre, Moscow

La Scala, Milan

Prague Estates Theatre, Prague

Palais Garnier, Paris

Metropolitan Opera, New York

Designer Plechách said, "We wanted to create just a ghost of the original chandeliers, or just the soul, the shadow, the shine of the original ones. If you imagine the grand, original chandeliers in these opera houses, they’re glorious, and the ‘neverending’ part relates to the profiles and the idea of infinite rotation—a neverending glory." 

I love the sketches below showing the process of translating the original design to the modern interpretation. 

Another thing I love about these pieces is the scale of them. Each is between two and three feet high. I think every house needs a statement light fixture. 

Each light certainly holds its own, but they look quite striking together in a row. 

I'm not sure which is my favorite though I'm leaning toward either La Scala, or probably not surprisingly, Metropolitan Opera. Which is your favorite?

---

silo images via conran shop (uk), additional images via the line

Xx a