Avril Griessbach

Over the Rocks

I was first inspired by the delicately and precisely scalloped edges of the glassware the Vignellis designed for the Ciga Hotels. Before it lay a meticulously hand-drawn cross-section of the exact pattern which would be used to create them. This meticulous detail transformed a simple and geometric object into something which playfully
threw reflections and light. I was also struck by the impression that many of the Vignelli’s pieces (such as Hellerware) had relationships with counterparts which fit precisely and gave them satisfying user-interactions.
Something as simple as setting a cup on a saucer was elevated by its precise execution.
I began with the concept of a pair– a drinking vessel which requires a counterpart like a champagne bottle might demand a bucket of ice. I began to think of various beverages which required some sort of heating or cooling.
I was enamored of the idea of creating a vessel to warm Sake, but after learning the delicate nature of soft (not borosilicate) glass, I eventually landed on a vessel which would chill whiskey so as to enable its cooling without it having to be diluted by melting ice.