Behind-the-scenes documentary shows handblown glass production process from 1,200°C furnaces to finished lighting
London, UK, April 2026
BROKIS at EDC has released a factory tour film documenting the production process at Janštejn Glassworks in the Czech Republic, where BROKIS lighting has been handblown since 1809.
The film provides UK interior designers with a behind-the-scenes look at how Czech glass lighting is made — from molten glass at 1,200°C through five-hour cooling processes to final quality control, photography, and QR code tracking.
Why production transparency matters for specification
Interior designers specifying BROKIS lighting often ask why production takes six weeks when mass-produced alternatives ship in days. The factory tour film answers that question by showing what “handblown Czech glass” actually means in practice.
Each BROKIS shade passes through 30 to 40 pairs of hands during production. Molten glass is gathered on a blowpipe in layers — the first and last layers always clear crystal for light quality and protection. The glass is blown into wooden moulds within seconds before it cools, then transferred to cooling ovens where the largest pieces (up to 18kg) undergo five hours of controlled temperature reduction.
“There’s a lot of work involved, like selecting the best pieces and keeping everything close to top quality,” explains one of the master glassblowers. The selection happens continuously — not just at final inspection, but throughout every stage of production.
Quality control happens at every stage. Defects are marked, polished, or discarded for recycling into BROKISGLASS. Every finished piece is photographed, signed by the glassmaker, and recorded with a QR code before leaving the factory.
For the quality control team, the decision to discard a piece isn’t bureaucratic — it’s personal.
“It’s an awful feeling, because we know the glassmakers work incredibly hard on it,” says a quality control specialist in the film. “It’s beautiful work, but it’s hard work too. The feeling that the product might have to be thrown away because of a technical fault, just because it isn’t perfect, is terrible for me. It really gets to you — you take it to heart.”
This is why Janštejn prioritizes reworking over discarding. Pieces that can be saved through polishing or repair are sent for rework rather than recycling.
“I’m happy when we save every piece that can be saved,” she continues. “You feel happy that it’s been saved, that it can go on and be used, and that it can bring joy to someone somewhere in the world.”
24 glassmakers, five daily colours, zero shortcuts
The Janštejn Glassworks operates with 24 master glassmakers, working in teams of five for larger pieces. Production cycles through five glass colours each day, always progressing from light to dark tones to prevent contamination — the same principle used in oil painting.
“The job is incredibly demanding — physically demanding too, on your hands and your legs,” explains one master glassblower featured in the film. “You’re constantly learning; almost every day there’s something new, something different, and it’s a daily challenge to do it properly and put knowledge first.”
The factory itself contains multiple furnaces, glass cooling ovens, a mold storage area, glass cutting lines with diamond discs, acid etching facilities, and packaging operations — all within a 200-year-old building designed when glassmaking required proximity to forests for fuel.
Broken pieces from production aren’t waste. They become BROKISGLASS, the recycled glass material developed by BROKIS to transform manufacturing byproducts into architectural panels and design materials.
Educational resource for designers and clients
Broken pieces from production aren’t waste. They become BROKISGLASS, the recycled glass material developed by BROKIS to transform manufacturing byproducts into architectural panels and design materials.
The film serves as an educational tool for interior designers explaining BROKIS production to clients who question lead times or compare handblown lighting to mass-produced alternatives.
By showing the physical reality of glass production — the heat, the precision, the human skill, the multi-stage quality control — the film contextualizes why certain specifications (custom colors, bespoke sizes, special finishes) add weeks to timelines rather than days.
For designers who’ve never visited a glassworks, the film also demonstrates why BROKIS maintains 100% component replacement for all fixtures. When you see the level of craftsmanship required to produce each shade, the commitment to repairability rather than disposability makes operational sense.
Watch the factory tour film
The BROKIS glassworks factory tour film is available on BROKIS at EDC’s website and can be shared with clients during the specification process to explain production timelines and quality standards.
Further information available at www.brokisedc.com.
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