Rooted in Murano furnaces but looking to the future: meet glass design studio 6:AM

At Louise Trotter’s Bottega Veneta debut this weekend, we were not only entranced by the collection on the runway, but also the rows of jewel-like hand-blown Murano glass stools lining it. Cuboid in shape and rendered in ten shades of green, blue, red and amber, the design, we learned, came courtesy of Milan-based studio 6:AM – the duo behind one of our favourite Milan Design Week showcases earlier this year. Shaped using cast-iron moulds engraved using CNC technology, each piece begins as a 43 cm block of glass, its final form revealed in a process echoing traditional marble sculpture. As with all of 6:AM's work, the stools were produced in close collaboration with Murano’s master artisans – continuing a centuries-old tradition while pushing a more contemporary aesthetic language.

Founded in 2018 by Edoardo Pandolfo and Francesco Palù, 6:AM takes its name from the moment the furnaces are lit each morning on the Venetian island, marking the start of a day’s work for the glassmakers who have preserved this craft for more than 700 years. Pandolfo, born in Venice, and Palù, trained as an architect, set out to bring Murano glass to a new audience through architectural installations, modular lighting, furniture and sculptural objects defined by precision, materiality and conceptual clarity.

The studio works across a network of independent artisans, each with their own specialisms, producing projects that range from bespoke commissions for global brands to research-led explorations into the future of glassmaking. Always rooted in Murano’s legacy yet looking ahead, 6:AM combines ancient techniques with evolving forms and ideas.

'Product development and glassworking techniques evolve together in parallel steps: the shape of an object often depends on how the glass can be worked, and in turn, the design influences the choice of technique,' the studio explains. 'This dialogue between craftsmanship and design is at the heart of 6:AM’s creative practice.'

Since its inception, the studio has investigated both traditional and lesser-known glassmaking processes, drawing on the centuries of expertise held by Murano’s master artisans. Working with the material in its molten state, 6:AM experiments with layering, fusing and adapting methods to push the material’s potential while seeking to minimise its environmental impact.

This approach led to FLOAT, unveiled during Milan Design Week 2024, which transformed salvaged glass from 1930s Milanese windows into furniture, shelving and architectural cladding. Combining fused glass panels with minimal steel structures, the collection explored new technical and aesthetic possibilities for post-industrial material. Developed in collaboration with Park Associati, FLOAT culminated in the 'Resourceful Intelligence' installation at the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale, where reprocessed glass from Milan’s Palazzo Missori, currently under renovation, was used to demonstrate circular design strategies.

Earlier this year, 6:AM staged its first solo exhibition, 'Two-Fold Silence', at the historic Piscina Cozzi during Milan Design Week. At its centre was Quadrato, a lighting collection inspired by 1920s industrial design, merging Bauhaus rationalism with the geometric abstraction of Kazimir Malevič. Crafted from blown Murano glass in varying textures and opacities, the collection included a screen-printed lattimo wall lamp framed in painted iron – a contemporary nod to early 20th-century emergency lights.

Whether collaborating with fashion houses or developing material recovery projects, 6:AM maintains a distinct visual language: fluid silhouettes, luminous textures and a commitment to the handmade. Its work may be rooted in Murano’s furnaces, but its gaze is firmly on the future.

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