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Explore Artisans Museums & Galleries Experience Itineraries About
© Jonas Racine
© Bertille Laguet
© Keystone Christian Beutler
© All rights reserved
© All rights reserved

Bertille Laguet

Bertille Laguet Blacksmith
Contact
French, English
Hours:
By appointment only
Phone:
+41 788540825
© M. Kluka

The woman who conquered forging

  • • Bertille aims to be open to everything new
  • • Her hallmark is her first name with a hammer instead of the letter t
  • • She received the Swiss Design Award 2017

Combining her degree in industrial design with the ancient craft of blacksmithing, Bertille Laguet aims to maintain and reinterpret the gestural and material knowledge of forging. “I didn’t really think about becoming a blacksmith," she says. "I met Philippe Naegele, a fourth generation blacksmith, at his workshop in Chexbres, Switzerland, and I fell in love with the place: an old forge, dark and full of fascinating objects and tools.” She took a crash course first, and then asked him if she could spend a day with him working as an intern. “I asked if I could come back the week after, and the week after, and the week after that. One year later, without my even realising it, forging had become a part of my life.”

Read the full interview

Works

  • © Adventice Editions
  • © Bertille Laguet
  • © Bertille Laguet
  • © Bertille Laguet
  • © All rights reserved
Photo: © Adventice Editions
B&M radiator

Noting that over time the interior heat source has dematerialized from being the focal point of a home into more discreet radiators or invisible underfloor heating, Bertille wanted to design a radiator with an assertive presence. The B&M radiator adapts itself to the seasons: in summer the flat top can be used as a shelf or a bench, while in winter the warm interior space can heat up blankets, dry gloves, and so on.

Length 690 cm
Width 250 cm
Height 600 cm

Photo: © Bertille Laguet
1907

Bertille found her inspiration for this doorknob in the popular bowling game of pétanque, which involves a strong relationship between the player’s hands and the texture of the metal balls (1907 is the year the game was invented). She sees a parallel in the feel of a doorknob in the hand and designed this model to give a tactile and visually intriguing experience. The shape is a generous, bold sphere with a distinctive texture, handcrafted with a hammer.

Diameter 80 cm

Photo: © Bertille Laguet
Les Grives

The architect of Nest, the Nestlé Museum in Vevey, commissioned Bertille to make a sculptural object that would be used to block the main doors when the museum was open. The two thrushes were inspired by Nestlé’s logo. The birds come together on the closed doors as though on one perch.

Diameter 150 cm

Photo: © Bertille Laguet
Polycake No. 5

Bertille worked on these cake stands in collaboration with cake designer Orlando Lovell. The three objects were forged and hammered by hand, and stainless-steel plates were added to the top and bottom to respect food hygiene. Each stand is stamped with the name of the master artisan and the designer.

Diameter 150 mm

Photo: © All rights reserved
Polycake No. 5

Bertille worked on these cake stands in collaboration with cake designer Orlando Lovell. The three objects were forged and hammered by hand, and stainless-steel plates were added to the top and bottom to respect food hygiene. Each stand is stamped with the name of the master artisan and the designer.

Diameter 150 mm

Enjoy an experience with Bertille Laguet

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