Already the reception, by a water-spouting botanical giant with sparkling eyes, puts you in the mood for this simply magical place that is just waiting to be discovered.
CITY ELEMENTS from Hess ensure great ambience in the arrival area
The Swarovski Crystal Worlds in Wattens with the iconic giant – a work by the multimedia artist André Heller – opened its doors in 1995 on the 100th anniversary of the Tyrolean family company Swarovski. At the centre of this world of adventure is the fascinating raw material crystal, with which Swarovski has been writing its success story since its inception in 1895.
Subterranean chambers of wonder and a rambling garden provide space for sculptures and creative interpretations of well-known contemporary artists, with and out of crystal, that make it possible to experience the material sensuously in many ways. Today the Swarovski Crystal Worlds are world famous and are among the most visited attractions in Austria, with 650,000 visitors per year.
Since its opening, the adventure destination has been expanded several times. After the third and largest ever expansion in 2015, to an area of approximately 7.5 hectares, the Crystal Worlds presents itself with numerous new attractions and a redesigned arrival area, appealingly and atmospherically lit by CITY ELEMENTS illuminating columns from Hess, that are lacquered in a white aluminium colour.
© HelgeBauer
New highlights in the exterior area
Crystalline park landscape
For the design of the newly developed park landscape, the company was able to recruit the renowned French designer duo Cao|Perrot as well as the landscape architectural office PLACE Studio of Portland (USA). On the basis of the artistic principle of the Crystal Worlds, extraordinary new ideas were realised relating to all aspects of the crystal material.
The crystal cloud: Symbiosis of landscape and art
Based on their creative approach of combining landscape and art into dreamscapes, the artists Andy Cao and Xavier Perrot created a spectacular cloud with 800,000 hand-set crystals as the highlight of the crystalline park landscape. The cloud area of 1,400 square meters is formed from wire mesh and floats over a dark pond, in which the light of the crystals is impressively reflected. Through the constantly changing weather and the cycle of nature, the appearance of the crystal cloud changes, providing visitors with new and exciting impressions again and again.
Redesigned arrival area
s_o_s architekten, a consortium of the architects Hanno Schlögl, Johann Obermoser and Daniel Süß from Innsbruck, designed the new arrival area in accordance with the guiding principle of the duo Cao|Perrot. The eye-catcher is the attractive foyer, which appears to be a white forest. It is the threshold to the garden and to the Great Square at the front. The wide sweeping concrete roof of the foyer is literally set in the birch forest and supported by white birch trunks. The walls and ceilings are also clad in birch wood.
There is plenty of room under the roof and on the Great Square, which invites guests to linger. In the evening hours, CITY ELEMENTS illuminating columns from Hess ensure great ambience.
The lighting concept
The goal: a feel-good atmosphere, quality of light and design
The lighting concept for the Great Square is closely integrated into the landscape architectural design and tailored to the use of the space as a place for visitors to linger and as a stage for various activities. In addition to a pleasant feel-good atmosphere, the designers from PLACE Studio valued quality illumination, attractive night and day appeal and thus a charming visual connection of the luminaires to the design of the foyer as a birch forest.
CITY ELEMENTS from Hess fulfil all requirements
The timeless CITY ELEMENTS illuminating columns from Hess did justice to these high standards: A total of 14 luminaires with a diameter of 230 mm and a mounting height of 4 meters provide extremely homogeneous illumination for the square without glare.
For efficient operation, the terminating elements are each equipped with a powerful LEVO LED module with wide-beam light distribution. In the evening hours, the selected light colour of 3000 K bathes the space in a warm light and creates a cozy, almost homey atmosphere.
Project-specific lacquer
The designers paid particular attention to the appearance of the CITY ELEMENTS during the day. For example, the CITY ELEMENTS – in keeping with the design of the foyer, which was modelled on a white birch forest – were coated in a white aluminium lacquer, putting the visitors in the mood for the many dreamscapes immediately upon arrival at the Crystal Worlds.
In the chosen colour, the CITY ELEMENTS seamlessly dovetail into the birch forest and provide perfect illumination at night as well as a perfect appearance during the day.
CITY ELEMENTS – Multifunctionality at its best
More than a luminaire
CITY ELEMENTS from Hess is a luminaire system that is suitable for all requirements in the city and in front of prestigious and high-profile buildings. These modular illuminating columns are suitable for any lighting tasks and fit perfectly with the existing urban surroundings, as well as with a wide range of architectural requirements, thank to their characteristics: individually combinable base, intermediate and terminating elements, two different diameters, various lighting technologies and variable heights of up to 9 meters and above.
Furthermore, a variety of additional function and supply solutions for various municipal and technical requirements can be implemented with CITY ELEMENTS, such as electricity and water supply, Christmas illuminations, camera installation in security areas, emergency calls, attractive light projections and e-mobility functions.
Further information
Swarovski Crystal Worlds
Kristallweltenstrasse 1
6112 Wattens, Austria
Phone 00 43/52 24 51 080, Fax 52 24 51 080 38 31
Website: www.swarovski.com/kristallwelten
Project information
- Town / Country
- Wattens, Austria
- Lighting design
- PLACE Studio (Portland)
- Builder
- D. Swarovski Distribution GmbH, Wattens
- Architect
- s_o_s architekten Innsbruck