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Architects: obermoser + partner architekten
- Area: 850 m²
- Year: 2019
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Photographs:David Schreyer
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Lead Architects: Johann Obermoser, Thomas Gasser
Text description provided by the architects. The Destination Wattens Company for Regional Development, a public/private partnership between the Daniel Swarovski KG and the Market Town Wattens, was inaugurated in 2015 in the former Swarovski factory compound “Werk 2”, an international center for founders and start-up companies. The project is named “Werkstaette Wattens”.
Built in 1906, the building 6 carried typical elements of early-industrial architecture around the turn of the century. Behind a palazzo-like façade with outdoor-access stairs, the indoor distribution staircase introduces four “polishing workshops”.
Steel beams and cement vaults carry stairwells and platforms, cast-iron columns, and wooden ceilings define the character of the “polishing workshops”. Over the years, the clear structure and the simple spatial sequence had vanished.
The design ́s aim has focused on regaining the original structure, bringing back to light the original spatial sequences, and adding clearly distinctive new elements.
General Notes. The first extension of buildings 6 and 7 took place in 2017/2018, and 2019 followed by the re-conversion of buildings 5 and 6 into office space.
Building 6, Grinding Rooms. The re-conversion of building 6 was carried out with a similar approach as for the first re-conversion stage, by freeing the original large spaces and bringing them back to their original state. The new office units have been separated with glass walls, each office with a felt-cover box on both sides as a retreat area, improving room acoustics.
The grinding room on the 1st floor is divided into several office groups. The existing cast iron asphalt floor has been sanded, the cast-iron columns have been painted dark grey, the ceilings in light grey, walls have been milled.
Horizontal structural glass elements provide visual shelter between offices. The lighting system consists of two direct and indirect light beams extending over the whole length. In common areas, light elements have been integrated within existing ceiling beams.
2nd Floor. The grinding room on the second floor is used as an open-space.
Walls, ceilings and columns have been painted white.
In this white room with a larch wooden floor, two black felt boxes are placed in order to form rooms for different purposes.
An area serving as call centre has been framed by glass walls. Room acoustics are solved by acoustic baffles hanging from the ceiling.
