With Swarovski Manufaktur, Snohetta has broken all rules when it comes to designing an industrial facility. The new building will serve as a top-notch production facility as well as an innovative creative hub for the Tyrolean crystal manufacturer, Swarovski.According to Snohetta, the structure cleverly merges design, product development, and production into one single facility. The new building type allows the company to develop innovative ways to align creative visionary processes with technical production requirements.“The Swarovski Manufaktur sets a new standard for inclusive fabrication facilities,” says Kjetil Traedal Thorsen, Founding Partner of Snohetta, when summarizing the concept. “Bringing clients, designers, artists, researchers, machine operators, technicians, and the public into one space under one roof is going to change how we think about these relationships in the future.”One of the highlights is the special ceiling that comprises 135 openings covered with a protective solar coating, which allow daylight to enter gently into the spacious building. “Perforated acoustic panels covering the ceiling ensure that the building has a pleasant sound level that allows people to converse at a normal voice despite the background noise from the production facilities and machines,” states Snohetta.The choice of material enhances the bright and welcoming atmosphere of the building interior. The walls are painted in white and light birchwood panels cover the floor. The sculptural platform on the second floor provides an overview of the generous space of the ground floor. “At the Manufaktur, the entire production process of the Swarovski crystal is reproduced on a small scale. The main floor contains all the machines necessary to produce prototypes or small crystal series in the shortest possible amount of time. Should technical standards or specifications change, the flexibility of the main floor provides enough space to allow for production to be rearranged to meet the latest technological requirements,” according to the architects. The building meets the criteria of the LEED Gold Standard (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design).  https://www.blouinartinfo.com/              Founder: Louise Blouin Read more