Perfect imperfection

How BTE preserves the distinctive surface of Analog Glass's unique, handmade products with a tailor-made solution

The manufacturing process is as individual as the unique products it produces. For its mirrors, which are handmade using traditional glassblowing techniques, the Berlin-based design label Analog Glass was looking for a coating company to apply the mirror coating. Bte Bedampfungstechnik GmbH took on the task, which was not so easy to handle.

Cover for partial coating

Individual mirror INITI-series horizonyellow

The mirrors are manufactured by the Lamberts glassworks in Waldsassen as mouth-blown flat glass and then further processed by the Hein Derix workshops for stained glass and mosaics. Compared to conventional window glass, the glass has typical irregularities such as small air pockets, but also irregular edges and traces of the tools used. These special features of handcrafted production make each piece unique. Initially, the material for the “INITÏ” mirror series was partially coated with silver and then covered with lacquer.

Instead, the glass is now coated with a mirror layer at BTE, either partially or fully. Handling the large glass panes is also new territory for the optical coating company, not because of their size, but because of the unconventional covering of the partially mirrored surfaces. “Designer Birgitta Homburger determines where and how the mirror surface should run on the glass,” says sales manager Johannes Steup. “There is a clear dividing line between the colored part of the finished object and the mirror surface. The area that is not to be coated must be precisely shielded: a task that initially presented us with challenges.”

At the same time, it had to be ensured that the differently shaped glasses would also fit into the vacuum coating systems. A standard was created for a complex task in small batch sizes. The mirroring process was coordinated and supervised in detail with designer Philipp Weber from Analog Glass. Responding precisely to customer requirements helps to preserve the individual character of the mirror series. The characteristic wavy structure and small imperfections such as bubbles in the mouth-blown glass are retained, clearly distinguishing them from conventional, smooth mirrors. These subtle features of glassmaking give the mirrors their characteristic charm and create a fascinating, harmonious interplay of light and reflection.

Preserving the individual character was a basic requirement for Analog Glass in this collaboration: the surface of the unique pieces could not be altered too much. Straight edges and flat surfaces were expressly not desired, unlike in everyday optical coating work. Compared to the previous solution with partial silver plating and lacquer, the reflection is more homogeneous with the aluminum layer applied in vacuum coating. The reflection is better and the coverage of areas not to be coated also works very well. This allows the artistic objects to retain their desired character – and even inspire customers in Australia. The entire “INITÏ” mirror series is on display at the Analog Glass studio in Berlin and at international galleries specializing in design. The mirrors are currently available as fully mirrored or partially mirrored, paired with blue, yellow, purple, or rose/clear.

There are already ideas for further development in an effort to tailor the current standard even more individually to customer requirements. Analog Glass and Bte Bedampfungstechnik are working on an aluminum coating with warmer tones and a reduced “blue cast,” proving once again that the best solutions are created when working “hand in hand.”

Photography: © Robert Świerczyński