Glasi

Known affectionately as die Glasi, the glassworks in Hergiswil looks back on more than two centuries of Swiss glassmaking. For over 200 years, glass has been shaped here by hand, generation after generation, with a deep respect for the material and for the craft itself.

A defining chapter began in 1975, when Roberto Niederer took over the glassworks. As designer and artistic director, he developed a clear and distinctive visual language, creating pieces that remain part of the collection today. His work laid the foundation for Glasi’s contemporary identity: functional, expressive, and timeless. The family legacy continued with his son Robert Niederer, who led the glassworks for more than three decades. Today, Glasi is run by Leandro Niederer, representing a new generation committed to carrying this heritage forward while thoughtfully guiding it into the future.

What makes Glasi unique is that glassblowing remains a living, visible craft. The work happens on site, open to visitors, not behind closed doors. The team brings together glassblowers from different countries and traditions, each contributing their experience and techniques. There is no formal glassblowing education in Switzerland; skill here is built through years of observation, practice, and repetition. Knowledge is shared, refined, and embodied over time, shaped as much by dedication and sensitivity as by technique.

The Diamante collection, created in 2022, reflects this balance between tradition and innovation. At first glance, the ribbed texture appears purely decorative. In reality, it is the result of an additional and deliberately elaborate step in the making process. The molten glass is first dipped into a ribbed pre-mold before being free-blown into its final shape. This combination gives each glass its precise structure while preserving a subtle vibrancy that reveals the hand of the glassblower. A quiet complexity, achieved through experience rather than excess.

We chose Glasi for the authenticity of its craftsmanship and the enduring quality of its work. These are objects made to be used, to last, and to age beautifully over time, rooted in tradition and shaped with care.