< PreviousAnd then there was light, and everything changed. – Neil Gaiman, “The Graveyard Book” In the dark the Crystal Dome is just a room like any other; in the light it is a magical place, where 595 mirrors create the illusion that you are inside a crystal. When the light changes, everything changes – each new color creates a di erent atmosphere and inspires di erent reactions. 40CHAN GING PERS PECTI VES The Chambers of Wonder at Swarovski Crystal Worlds amaze and enchant visitors every time – whether it's their first visit to the Giant or their tenth. Every little change in perspective reveals a whole new world. Text – Lisa Schwarzenauer Photos – Axel Springer 41Chambers of WonderThe monsters turned out to be just trees. – Taylor Swift, “Out of the Woods” There is almost nothing as fascinating and at the same time unnerving as a forest. The Chamber of Wonder titled “Eden,” created by the artist duo Fredrikson Stallard, plays on this feeling, with a fantastical, archaic landscape – without monsters, but full of possibilities and dreams. 42We were wild and fluorescent come home to my heart. – Lorde, “Supercut” Colorful, shimmering, and overwhelming – Ready to Love is Manish Arora’s interpretation of love. The Temple of Love features hearts in many different forms that all have one thing in common: each one is unique and they demand that you listen to your own heart. Chambers of Wonder43The deliberately fragmented, multifaceted mirror landscape of the Chamber of Wonder “Into Lattice Sun” is a perfect reflection of reality: rifts and edges make the landscape – and life – a unique experience full of beauty and surprises. There is a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in. – Leonard Cohen, “Anthem” 4445Chambers of Wonder In Transparent Opacity Arik Levy plays with the diversity and contradictions embodied by crystals, which have made them a source of fascination for centuries: sculptures made of glass, marble, steel, and plastic show crystal in all its many facets. She was like one of those strange crystals that one sees in museums, which are at one moment clear, and at another clouded. – Oscar Wilde, “The Sphinx Without a Secret” Have you discovered new perspectives in the Chambers of Wonder? Share them on Instagram with @kristallwelten! 46 Once upon a time ... Text – Daniel Feichtner In 2020, Swarovski Crystal Worlds is celebrating its 25th anniversary. When it opened it was already an ambitious project. However, that was just the beginning; since then the Giant has grown significantly. , the spiritual father of the Giant, whose vision was the foundation stone for Swarovski Crystal Worlds.47 “Swarovski Crystal Worlds was like a dam breaking, with a flood of interest that we in the tourism industry felt immediately. The opening was a boost to the whole region, a wake-up call that put an end to faltering innovation and investment in tourism. It was and still is the ignition spark that has stimulated many other projects, and continues to act as door-opener for us to many inter- national markets.” , , Anniversary Growth phase Just eight years later, in 2003, Swarovski Crystal Worlds welcomed its five millionth visitor. In fact, it was not only the interest in Swarovski’s world of wonder that had grown far beyond expectations. In 2002, Swarovski Crystal Worlds itself experienced its first growth phase. The area where visitors could immerse themselves in the fantastical world of the Giant was doubled to almost 4,000 square meters and the shop was moved into its own separate building. That created enough space for six additional Cham- bers of Wonder and regularly changing special exhibitions to fascinate visitors. 1995 2003 A green field It all began in 1994 when the first spadeful was turned on an unremarkable piece of land on the edge of Wattens. Here, close to the company’s factory site, Swarovski Crystal Worlds began to take shape. Over seven months, 20,000 cubic meters of earth was moved, to make the shared vision of André Heller and Swarovski become a 2,000-square-meter reality. The finished result was opened to the public in 1995, to mark the company’s 100th anniversary. Seven Chambers of Wonder made the fabulous world of crystals an experience for all the senses. Originally, it was thought it might attract 150,000 visitors a year to Wattens. That would be exceeded quite quickly. “When Swarovski celebrated its 100th birthday, the founding of Swarovski Crystal Worlds was a gift not just for the company, but for Wattens too. Today, the two are inseparably linked. I realized at the time that it was going to be a significant project. But I could never have anticipated quite how important it would become for Swarovski and for the entire region. Ever since it opened, Swarovski Crystal Worlds has been a major attraction for visitors and locals – and I always love going there.” , linvited visitors to explore the Giant’s own private chambers.1995 2015 4849Anniversary A new era In winter 2014, Swarovski Crystal Worlds announced its next stage of development, under the heading “A New Era of Won- der.” This project included a further expansion of the crystalline world of wonder, again almost doubling it in size. With 7,500 square meters of exhibition space, new Chambers of Wonder were created in collaboration with international artists and the existing ones were redesigned. There was now a total of 16 Chambers for visitors to experience and wonder at. The outdoor area was expanded too: The Crystal Cloud with its 800,000 individual crystals has been twinkling in the sunlight ever since. The architecture studio Snøhetta created the additional attraction of a restaurant, Daniels Kristallwel- ten, and devised the playtower, where younger visitors can romp to their hearts’ content. The latest edition In the next few years, Swarovski Crystal Worlds continued to attract a lot of attention. In 2007 alone 700,000 people visited – and another update was under way. In collaboration with well-known artists and performers – including Tyrol’s own Oliver Irschitz, American soprano Jessye Norman, and the British sculptor and inventor Jim Whiting – eight of the Cham- bers of Wonder were redesigned. The shop was also extended, becoming one of the largest Swarovski Stores in the world. “Before Swarovski Crystal Worlds opened, there were about 30 of us working in the Crystal Shop. Today, we are a team of over 200 people – from around 25 di erent countries. And there are many more visitors, coming from a much wider range of places. We meet people from all over the world – from Japan, China, India and Africa, to the USA. In Wattens we have found a multicultural home that we are helping to shape.” , 2007 2015 , - , the Crystal Cloud has been catching the sunlight since 2015. © CINE TIROL 2019, FSL¥BETRIEBSRÄTE §2¨ “Wonder – that is what I associate with Swarovski Crystal Worlds: wondering endlessly at crystalline scenes in the Chambers of Won- der and the garden, which have given me, my family and friends, and filmmakers from many coun- tries an almost childlike delight. In Swarovski Crystal Worlds Tyrol has an outstanding and unique attraction that enchants people of all ages and backgrounds.” , Next >