Italian glassware company Traga returns with a clever take on the drinking vessel – the Podio Cup, designed by Netherlands-based Maurizio Filippi. One side is for drinking, and the other is for holding a tea light – water and fire with glass in between. Made from borosilicate, known for its strength and durability, these glasses are perfectly appropriate for hot and cold beverages alike, allowing home mixologists to serve anything from a Lemon Drop to a latte in style.
Traga launched a design brief earlier this year titled “Redefining the drinking glass,” an open call for designers and artists to submit proposals along this central theme. The Podio Cup was the winning design out of over 200 submissions. “The inspiration behind the design comes from two forces that have always shaped moments of life without asking for permission – fire and water. A glass that can contain both – a candle and a drink – becomes more than an object; it becomes memory,” explains Daniel Nikolovski, founder of Traga.
The intriguing dialogue between elements can be displayed at once, offering multiple functions when in use, and an elegant profile when not. Multiple Podio Cups stack on top of each other to form a totem of sorts, an elegant way to display sculptural glassware – no need to relegate dishware to a cupboard. They have been designed in a way that no sides touch, guaranteeing a scratch-free way to keep your cups pristine.
“When designing our pieces, we always aim to create a dialogue. That approach began with our debut product, the Martini Shot Glass, an object that connects two drinks simply by flipping the glass,” says Nikolovski. “Podio also bridges two worlds through a single flip, but this time one side is for drinking, and the other is for atmosphere. It’s a very intuitive process, and often, the design itself determines what belongs on one side and what on the other.”
Traga is a glassware company based in Milan, redefining utility objects we use and interact with daily. ‘Traga’ is derived from Proto-Slavic, meaning to trace or mark, similar to the imprints of glassware on a tablecloth after a good dinner with friends. Currently available in four colors – Amber, Jade, Clear, and Milk – we’re excited to see more options for the Podio Cup in 2025, as well as hints of an everyday coffee/tea mug to look forward to within the new year.
For more on the Podio Cup by Traga, which is available individually or as a set of four, visit traga.it.
