project

Swarovski Crystal Worlds

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General information

  • Location address
    Kristallweltenstrasse 1, Wattens
  • Location country
    Austria
  • Year of construction
    2015
  • Name of the client/building owner
    D. Swarovski KG
  • Function of building
    Public spaces
  • Degree of enclosure
    Open structure
  • Climatic zone
    Temperate - cold winters and mild summers
  • Type of application of the membrane
    covering
  • Primary function of the tensile structure
    • Space defining elements

Description

In front of the beautiful alpine panorama, the Swarovski Crystal Worlds extend over an area of about 1.500m². In its longest dimension, the cable net structure amounts to about 130m. The structure is set to a total of 116 columns and is connected with more than 3000 cables to a network. At the junctions the cables are knotted together with discuses. The entire structure is pushed up on pressure props or rather pulled down over pull props and thus placed under tension. Basis for the draft of the entire construction represents a so-called three-dimensional Voronoi diagram. Voronoi diagrams are natural phenomenons which are occurring in a variety of scientific fields, such as biology, chemistry, meteorology, et cetera. They also feature interesting mathematical properties and relationships which finally reflect themselves in exciting geometric structures.
Difficulty at the execution of such a network is that these many nodes, with their different angles and directions, must be bought together in a very closely space at one point. Also the architects emphasized special efforts for an elegant and unobtrusive solution at the detailed design of these points. That manages the discus on a smart and chic way. Three ropes can be connected force-fit with each other and provide an ideal solution to knot Voronoi networks. This innovation makes the cable net structure with its clouds in different shapes and sizes, according to the design of the French-American artist duo Cao and Perrot, to a real artwork. The clouds are formed from stainless steel mesh and hung in the rope net structure. Then the clouds are decorated with thousands of tiny crystals and form a huge, in many different colors and shapes, glitzy sea of clouds.

Description of the environmental conditions

Material of the cover

  • Cable-net/Fabric/Hybrid/Foil
    Cable

Main dimensions and form

  • Covered surface (m2)
    1500

Duration of use

  • Temporary or permanent structure
    Permanent

Involved companies

Editor