J. & L. Lobmeyr: crystalline masterpieces

Glassware specialist J. & L. Lobmeyr is one of Vienna’s oldest traditional companies – and yet it is still very much in tune with the times. Founded in 1823, this Viennese family business, with its flagship store on Kärntner Straße in the city center, is known for its delicate drinking glasses in countless designs, as well as for its impressive and magnificent chandeliers. In the past, Lobmeyr supplied the Hofburg, Schönbrunn Palace, the Bavarian royal palaces and numerous European royal houses.

The former Imperial and Royal Court purveyor of glassware, J. & L. Lobmeyr, has been producing high-quality glassware since 1823 – from drinking sets and engraved mirrors to chandeliers. The exquisitely delicate drinking glasses are mouth-blown and hand-cut. The Austrian imperial household placed many orders to furnish the royal table. Lobmeyr supplied its first service for official receptions in 1835: the Hofburg Service could serve up to 400 guests and continued to be used for state receptions of the Republic of Austria for many years. Today, that role has been taken over by the Lobmeyr drinking set designed by the duo Polka.

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A woman and a man shopping at the traditional Lobmeyr company — © WienTourismus/Paul Bauer

People shopping — © WienTourismus/Paul Bauer

Woman holding a crystal glass — © WienTourismus/Paul Bauer

Lobmeyr has a long tradition of collaborating with artists, from Theophil Hansen, Adolf Loos, and Josef Hoffmann to contemporary designers such as Marco Dessí and Stefan Sagmeister. The Wiener Werkstätte in particular produced classics that are still part of the range today, such as Josef Hoffmann’s iconic “B” drinking glass series.

In March 2026, J. & L. Lobmeyr will open an exhibition on Viennese table culture at its Kärntner Straße store, tracing the history of forms from the Baroque period to the present, for both intimate and grand tables.

One of Lobmeyr’s longest-standing series is the Service No. 4 from 1856. It was presented at the Vienna World’s Fair in 1873 and has remained a bestseller ever since. The service impressed then as it does now with its simplicity and modernity. The crystal glass manufacturer J. & L. Lobmeyr was among the most renowned participants of the Vienna World’s Fair 1873 and celebrated great success there. Company founder Ludwig Lobmeyr received numerous awards for his designs and even served as a jury member himself. The company was also entrusted with furnishing the Imperial Pavilion, including the elaborately engraved Imperial Service and an impressive mirror, which can still be admired today in the shop on Kärntner Straße.

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Colorful drinking glasses from 1952 by Lobmeyr — The drinking service No. 267 by Hans-Harald Rath from 1952 reflects the spirit of the 1950s and is still in vogue today. – © J. & L. Lobmeyr

Glass carafe and wine glasses — The glassware set No. No. 4 by Ludwig Lobmeyr from 1856 is a timeless classic. – © J. & L. Lobmeyr

Carafe and glasses — The famous ‘B’ drinking glass series by Josef Hoffmann is a testimony to the Vienna Secession and the Wiener Werkstätte. – © J. & L. Lobmeyr

Glassware by Lobmeyr — Stefan Sagmeister has reinterpreted a design by Adolf Loos for Lobmeyr. – © davies+starr

The drinking service No. 267 by Hans-Harald Rath from 1952 reflects the spirit of the 1950s and is still in vogue today. – © J. & L. Lobmeyr

The glassware set No. No. 4 by Ludwig Lobmeyr from 1856 is a timeless classic. – © J. & L. Lobmeyr

The famous ‘B’ drinking glass series by Josef Hoffmann is a testimony to the Vienna Secession and the Wiener Werkstätte. – © J. & L. Lobmeyr

Stefan Sagmeister has reinterpreted a design by Adolf Loos for Lobmeyr. – © davies+starr

Superlative chandeliers

The name Lobmeyr is also associated with chandeliers. The most famous chandelier by this glassware specialist is the Starburst chandelier, produced in 1966 for the Metropolitan Opera in New York. In 1963, Hans Harald Rath, then managing director of the family business, designed the ‘Starburst’ chandelier for the foyer and the grand auditorium of the Metropolitan Opera in New York. The Viennese chandelier was inspired by the Big Bang and several versions of it hang in the New York Metropolitan Opera, where they can be seen from Broadway. The world’s second largest Metropolitan chandelier hangs in the villa of Canadian rap superstar Drake. With nearly 20,000 cut Swarovski crystals, 86 lightbulbs, a diameter of almost four meters and a net height of just under two meters, the ‘Starburst’ now graces the 13-meter-high ‘Grand Room’ of his luxury villa in Toronto.