They fascinate everyone whatever their age. Big and little glittery Swarovski crystals. At their Austrian home in Wattens in the Inntal region, the Swarovski Crystal Worlds captivate more than 600,000 visitors every year. The dining standards at the “Daniels Kristallwelten” café and restaurant are in keeping with this elegant glamour. Floor to ceiling windows flood the rooms with daylight, opening up the view over the Crystal Worlds and the impressive panorama of the Alps. However, an unobstructed view outside is not always desirable. Which is why the “Daniels” restaurant was looking for a curtain. Or rather a glittery look that creates intimacy without destroying the light and airy ambience. Anyone seeing alphamesh scale mesh for the first time thinks that they’ve seen it before. The surface and look evoke associations with elegant sequin-covered fabrics. Anyone who touches the metal mesh is also in for a surprise as the hard metallic exterior then melts into softness that caresses your touch. Light and air interact with this and conjure up new images on the glittery surface time and time again. At the end of the day the designers decided on an aluminium polished and clearly coated scale mesh that not only shines but glitters brilliantly 3.5 million times, the total number of scales used. And all over 125 m2, divided over six curtains. They are 3.43 m high and the longest curtain has an impressive width of 8.25 m. The curtain has to respond as an interior design element communicating between the indoors and outdoors, which means it has to be set up for different room and light situations. This is not done manually but by using an electric drive that allows the curtains to float on their meandering supporting texture as if by magic.

Project: Swarovski; Wattens | Country: Austria | Architects / Designer: Snøhetta, Oslo | Material: alphamesh scale 5.8 aluminium | Photocredits: Daniel Swarovski, Wattens