On an area of over 1,000 m², a new store concept has emerged that will combine the highest standards of visual appearance with the strict functional and safety requirements of a jewellery store, and which can hold its own among projects on an international level.
The conversion has taken a full year. The aim for the new and expanded premises has been to meet both international standards and the contemporary demands of the company’s customers. The concept originated with the owner himself, Hermann Gmeiner-Wagner, and the design realisation has been undertaken by the renowned architect Matthäus Jiszda.
Now the re-opening is about to take place. From 16 November, Vienna’s traditional jewellery store Juwelier Wagner will be showing off its new extended premises. The building principal, Hermann Gmeiner-Wagner, is particularly pleased that in spite of this massive building project the store has continued to operate during the whole of the construction period.
With the expansion and redesigning of the premises, Juwelier Wagner has created an environment that is now standard in other luxury areas such as the hotel industry or the world of haute couture. The spacious premises will create a new dimension in the experience of watches and jewellery.
Generous, uncluttered and flooded with light: The highest standards have been set in terms of design and fittings. The floors and sales desks are of dark anegre and red alder wood. Generously proportioned sandstone elements form lateral edgings and backgrounds to display cabinets. Huge areas of glass, both on the ground floor and on the first floor, guarantee maximum transparency and offer the observer a unified space which is flooded with light.
Special highlights are a fireplace and a gentle waterfall along a black granite wall in the sales area. A sophisticated lighting system with specially designed spotlights ensures that watches and jewellery are effectively illuminated.
The basic concept was not simply to impose something new on what was already there, but to generate new forms from the existing structure. The ambience has been slimmed down and simplified. At the core of the new “Wagner’s” is the way in which the space is presented. Matthäus Jiszda, who has already successfully planned and realised numerous prestigious projects in the retail segment, has restricted himself to just a few exclusive materials. Glass, natural stone, oiled wood and powder-coated steel. Exclusively leather furniture has been used for the seating. The dominant colours are beige and dark grey.
Demonstration workshops and events area: On the first floor are the jewellery workshop and watchmaking area. The watchmakers can be seen at their work through a panorama window. In addition, this floor also provides space for special presentations and events, with its generously proportioned front window area looking out over Kärntner Straße. The glass facade in this area has been designed so that anything from a concert grand piano to a jet aircraft can be lifted through it.
Impressions
