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When Swarovski Put Crystals in the Floor
At one point during the Wunderwelten project for Swarovski, a small box of crystals was sitting on a work table while the team discussed the floor.
Someone asked a simple question: could they live inside it?
The idea was not to place the crystals on top of the floor or add them afterward, but to embed them directly within the surface itself.
That question changed how the floor would ultimately be built.
The Setting: Wunderwelten
Wunderwelten was conceived as an immersive environment. Visitors move through rooms shaped by color, reflection, and light. The experience relies less on individual objects and more on atmosphere.
In a setting like that, every surface plays a role. The floor needed to support the architecture without introducing a visual language of its own.
Many conventional flooring materials naturally divide a room through repeating joints, directional layouts, or visible transitions. Those characteristics can work well in many interiors, but in this case the designers were looking for continuity.
They wanted a surface that could move through the space without interruption.
That requirement led them to Senso.
When the Idea Changed
As the project developed, the conversation around the floor began to shift.
Instead of simply selecting a material that would remain visually quiet, the team began exploring whether the exhibition itself could extend into the surface beneath it. That is when the idea of integrating Swarovski crystals into the floor emerged.
Embedding crystals inside a floor required approaching the installation differently from traditional flooring systems. Most floors arrive as finished components that are assembled across the space. A seamless surface behaves more like a material that is shaped directly within the room.
Sections of the floor are poured and finished on site, allowing the surface to follow the geometry of the architecture.
During the Wunderwelten installation, crystals were placed within the material as it was applied. As the surface cured, they gradually became visible across the floor.
Light interacts with them differently depending on where you stand in the room. As visitors move through the exhibition, reflections shift beneath their feet.
In that way the reflections become part of how visitors move through the space.
Why Senso Seamless Surfaces Made It Possible
Most flooring systems depend on repetition. Individual pieces connect to one another until the entire room is covered.
Seamless surfaces are installed differently. The material is applied as a continuous layer and shaped directly within the space as it cures.
Because the surface is created in place, designers can experiment with color, texture, and composition during installation. Materials and objects can also be incorporated directly into the floor itself.
For the Wunderwelten project, that flexibility made it possible to embed Swarovski crystals within the surface rather than applying them afterward.
Something normally presented behind glass became part of the architecture.
The Craft Behind the Installation
Projects like this depend as much on craftsmanship as they do on material.
Senso surfaces are poured and finished directly on site by trained artisans who work with the material as it cures. Each section is shaped to follow the geometry of the space.
Because the floor is created as a continuous surface, there are no prefabricated panels or joints interrupting the design.
This approach also allows unusual elements to be integrated during installation.
In Wunderwelten’s case, that flexibility made it possible to incorporate Swarovski crystals while maintaining a seamless floor throughout the exhibition.
A Different Kind of Museum Surface
Museums are often designed so that the surfaces beneath visitors remain visually neutral. Floors typically fade into the background so that attention stays on the exhibition itself.
The Wunderwelten project explored a different approach.
The floor became another medium within the space, carrying light, material, and reflection alongside the installation.
For architects and designers, it’s a reminder that the surface of a room can sometimes participate in the experience rather than simply supporting it.
When the Floor Becomes Part of the Exhibition
Most floors are meant to recede into the background. Occasionally a project invites something different.
In Wunderwelten, the floor participates in the exhibition just as much as the walls or the light.
Are polished concrete floors cold?
SENSO floors are always comfortable, flexible and pleasant underfoot. This applies to polished concrete floors too. All year round, even when it is freezing outside.
Absorption of heat
SENSO polished concrete floors are capable of absorbing heat. The retained heat then radiates outwards. The floor is therefore very pleasant underfoot. Even barefoot.
Extra comfort
For even more comfort and extra warm feet during the winter months, the floor can be equipped with underfloor heating. No visible radiators, but still a uniformly heated space. A heat-retaining space. Underfloor heating uses less energy than standard heating. As a result, it is better for the environment.
Improve your quality of life by making conscious choices. Think SENSO.
