DesignBlok 2026

During the DesignBlok Exhibition in Prague, Bodo Sperlein took over the Czech Modernist Pavilion in the gardens of the prestigious Museum of Decorative Arts (UPM). Bringing his international practice into dialogue with the city’s heritage, the showcase featured furniture, lighting, porcelain, textiles, and architectural materials, spanning new work alongside established pieces.

Built in 1940, the pavilion’s fluid architecture directly informed the spatial layout. At the centre stood a bespoke column made from Sperlein’s Cascade climate-stone paving, developed with Godelmann and reinterpreted on an architectural scale, inspired by Emil Králíček’s 1912 Cubist lamppost. The connection to local manufacturing continues with a concrete furniture collection created with Czech partner Gravelli.

Aligning with Designblok 2026’s core theme, Light, the showcase highlighted Sperlein’s long-standing exploration of illumination. Featured pieces include glass and lighting created with historic Viennese brand J.&L. Lobmeyr (such as the Script and Orchid collections), which treat light as an architectural material in its own right.

Conceived as a holistic portfolio rather than a retrospective, the exhibition paired recent Milan Design Week launches with signature works. Highlights included porcelain with Meissen (Edifice and Phoenix), rugs with GAN, wall coverings with Coordonné, and Sperlein’s iconic Contourline and Wave furniture.

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