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The interior is more muted.

Boxed off
The architects opted for a radical transformation of the 1,000 sq m space, rather than a run-of-the-mill renovation. “A traditional renovation wouldn’t have been spectacular enough,” noted Daniel Suess. “So we have built a building within a building.”

The original interior was ripped out and replaced with a giant cube structure. The structure, which is covered with an outer glass skin, sits snugly within the boundaries of the building’s original columns, creating an interesting interplay between the old and the new.

The exterior of the cube is enveloped in the Honeycomb, a sparkling surface consisting of cut crystal and thousands of LED light points which can be controlled to create a variety of effects – from glowing lava to glittering ice. “The inner cube is dissolved by light and crystal. This is a novel type of façade,” Schloegl said.

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Meanwhile, a series of smaller, irregularly-placed cubes extend out through the façade, breaking down the barrier between inside and out. Set at various levels, these clear glass cubes jut haphazardly into the streetscape, teasing passers-by with their curious contents.
 

“The cube is a stage where artists can present their work and showcase their installations,” Suess explained.

These floating stages are currently home to installations by Belgian artist Arne Quinze. His ‘Japanese Stilthouses’ combine recycled materials with crystal to create a poignant commentary on the pace of human development.

“Much of my work is related to human beings,” Quinze explained. “My stilthouses are like humans. They stand on their long legs and they look very fragile, but they are very strong and they will survive, just as we humans have survived. They are full of contradictions and that is so very human.

“Then you have the eyes. I didn’t want it to look like a human eye; it was important that you couldn’t tell whether it was human or animal. Today, we are living in this Big Brother planet, and everybody is watching everyone, and everyone is competing, and the streets are filled with cameras,” he said.

“For me, it was important to create the impression of Big Brother watching you from the top of this stilthouse.

“Then you have the crystals that are reflecting and absorbing light. Together, all these things make it very human. That is how I see my installations.”

Quinze was also responsible for ‘Bidonville Wall’, a one-off piece of artwork that greets visitors as they step through the main entrance of the store. The fiery red installation makes a striking first impression and reiterates some of the themes that have been introduced by the stilthouses.

Apart from this initial, intense splash of colour, the interiors of Swarovski Wien are characterised by a decidedly muted tone. Dark greys dominate, with a white floor chosen for obvious contrast.