Kristallwelten (Crystal Worlds) is a visitor attraction near Innsbruck in Austria owned by the Swarovski family, celebrating their ‘world of crystal’. Conran & Partners’ design for a new 850sqm shop at the complex was conceived as a journey from reality into the world of crystal, and comprises an entrance area, main shop and collectors’ club.

In the shop entrance area, a rough stone floor suggests the unrefined crystal state. A display wall made from strata of grey tones includes a black ‘bed’ of crystal merchandise. The strata wall is lit in pale blue light, from above and below, so as to appear floating between the stone floor and the grey ceiling.

The sales floor is a circular ‘cavern’ of crystal. This space is darker than the entrance area, and finished in more refined materials, including a smooth matt-black resin floor. The circle is divided by three 2.1m-high titanium ‘shards’, that define individual display areas for different product groupings. Like rays of light radiating from a crystal, glass display cabinets fan out from the heart of the circle. The ceiling, representative of a dusky sky, is penetrated by a series of circular roof-lights and scattered with random star-like lights.

The third part of the shop is the Collectors’ Club. Entered from one side of the main shop through an etched glass screen, the Club space is the most refined of the three shop areas. With an opulent black marble floor, a dark strata display wall, presentation area, bar and seating for meetings and relaxed discussions, the Club provides a sophisticated and luxurious environment in which to view the most exclusive crystal ranges.