Swarovski Crystal Palace 2008

During the crazy days of Salone del Mobile Swarovski's Crystal Palace feels like a revitalizing refuge. The place is completely dark, with soft music on the background and millions of shiny splashes of light, a truly magical place.
Among this year's installations my favourite one was Veil, by British designer Paul Cocksedge. 1440 crystals created a particular four meters high curtain that hide a secret, only by looking into a mirror placed in its back the viewer could see the iconic image of Mona Lisa.



Swedish design group Front experimented with crystals and blown glass, creating Random, a series of vases and lights that are always unique. In fact the liquid glass is contaminated with crystals that determine the final shape of the object.


Marcel Wanders brought together Bisazza and Swarovski, designing a mosaic encrusted with crystal tiles. Zaha Hadid presented a striking advanced chandelier and Studio Job proposed an enormous globe completely covered with Swarovski crystals.

Marcel Wanders and Bisazza

Zaha Hadid

Studio Job

Arne Quinze showed some strange looking sculptural lamps; Piero Lissoni explored the depth of light and crystals creating a scenic chandelier; Tokujin Yoshioka embedded an out of scale Swarovski crystal into an acrylic cube, the result was not as emotional as I would have expected from his celebrated installations; artist Marcus Tremonto explored the magic of electro luminescent wire and Fredrikson Stallard created a series of monolithic furniture perforated with crystal covered caverns.

Arne Quinze

Piero Lissoni