Iron Bakeware, Tableware, Drinkware and Cookware Design · 2026
Trinity Drinking Glass
- A' Design Award 2026 Iron Winner in Bakeware, Tableware, Drinkware and Cookware Design
- Awarded April 15, 2026
- CLIENT: Ivilina Miteva
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 110,375
- Verification code 461E95206E · Verify this award
About Trinity Drinking Glass
Trinity is a contemporary glassware collection that redefines the drinking glass through reversible design. Each of the three pieces functions in two orientations, offering different volumes and experiences within a single form. Its minimalist geometry removes the distinction between base and rim, allowing users to redefine function through a simple gesture. Crafted from durable, recyclable borosilicate glass, Trinity combines sustainability with precision, resulting in a refined yet playful design that encourages interaction.
Ivilina Miteva's Trinity Drinking Glass collection exemplifies contemporary approaches to functional glassware design that honor both utilitarian purpose and aesthetic contemplation, positioning craft-based material exploration within the tradition of elevated everyday objects that transform quotidian rituals into moments of sensory appreciation and visual delight. The series demonstrates sophisticated engagement with glass as medium, celebrating the material's intrinsic optical properties including transparency, translucency, chromatic filtering, and light refraction while employing a thoughtfully curated palette of analogous cool-spectrum hues spanning teal, cobalt, lavender, and spring green that establish chromatic coherence across varied vessel typologies. The formal vocabulary draws upon classical glassware archetypes including the wide shallow coupe suggesting cocktail service traditions, the elevated stemmed form recalling ceremonial drinking vessels, and the straightforward tumbler acknowledging vernacular utility, yet each iteration receives distinctive chromatic treatment through the integration of saturated colored bases that provide visual weight and anchor the ethereal transparency of the upper vessel portions. Particularly accomplished passages include the decorative rim treatments where granular cobalt blue material creates textural contrast against smooth glass surfaces, the sculptural inclusions in rose-violet and magenta tones that function simultaneously as functional stirrers and aesthetic embellishments, and the strategic placement of translucent ice elements that activate light-refracting potential throughout the composition. The design appears to explore the intersection of functional drinkware and decorative object, suggesting that vessels intended for beverage service can simultaneously function as chromatic sculpture and material study, inviting users to experience the ritual of drinking through heightened aesthetic awareness. The work seems to reference historical traditions of colored glass production while employing contemporary fabrication techniques and formal sensibilities, the clean geometric profiles and precise material junctions suggesting industrial manufacture or skilled studio craft rather than rustic handwork. One might observe affinities with modernist design principles emphasizing material honesty, functional clarity, and essential form, yet the playful chromatic exuberance and sculptural embellishments suggest equally strong connections to postmodern design's celebration of ornament, color, and expressive materiality. The compositional presentation through carefully controlled photography that emphasizes chromatic relationships, material translucency, and formal rhythm indicates sophisticated understanding of how objects communicate meaning through visual documentation, the neutral ground and diffused lighting creating optimal conditions for appreciating subtle chromatic gradations and transparent layering effects. The decorative granular rim treatments evoke associations with salt or sugar rimming traditions in cocktail culture, transforming functional garnishing practice into permanent design feature that adds textural variety and chromatic accent while reinforcing the work's engagement with beverage service contexts. How might such chromatic glassware transform the everyday experience of drinking, elevating routine hydration or social refreshment into encounters with material beauty, color theory, and the aesthetic potential inherent in functional objects thoughtfully conceived and skillfully realized?
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- Three sizes for various occasions. This set consists of three visually identical glasses with different volumes. The rigid geometry of the shape is enriched not only by colors, but also by tongue-in-cheek evocative design, making these glasses a valued addition to any bar or household. The different volumes of the "stool" half call to be filled with various drinks.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Trinity S: Content 200/200ml, Diameter 103/64mm, Height 130mm
Trinity M: Content 200/300ml, Diameter 103/64mm, Height 160 mm
Trinity L: Content 200/380ml, Diameter 103/64mm, Height 190mm - Tags
- tableware, drinkware, glassware, drinking glass, tumbler, glass, borosilicate
- Production Technology
- The Trinity glassware series is made from borosilicate glass, known for its durability and resistance to hot and cold temperature. The glass can be molded and crafted in a variety of thicknesses. It is an infinitely recyclable material that can be re-melted again and again, minimizing waste and environmental impact.
- Design Challenge
- The primary creative challenge was reconciling reversibility with ergonomic and structural integrity. Designing a glass that performs equally well in two orientations required eliminating the conventional hierarchy between base and rim, while maintaining stability, comfort and visual balance.
- Project Duration
- The project was initiated in 2024, in response to the Traga Open Call. Concept development began with research into reversible drinkware and functional double-use systems.
- Operation Flow
- The user intuitively explores both ends of the glass, discovering distinct rim diameters and capacities. The act of turning the glass becomes a part of the ritual. Flow is guided by calibrated geometry. Rim thickness is optimized for comfort and controlled liquid delivery, while curvature directs the beverage smoothly toward the lip.
- Research
- The research question centered on whether a single glass form could successfully operate in two orientations without compromising stability, ergonomics, or aesthetic coherence. Material research focused on the properties of borosilicate glass - thermal resistance, weight reduction potential, and tensile strength - allowing exploration of refined wall thickness while maintaining durability.
- Inspiration
- The project started for the 2024 Traga Open Call. This Drinkware collection originates from the concept of double-use glasses, objects capable of shifting function through inversion. The three glasses are conceived as reversible forms. Each piece is designed to function in two orientations, allowing variations in volume, proportion, and drinking experience. By simply turning the object, the user redefines its purpose.