Kosmos
KOSMOS – an intellectual department store – will open its doors in the area of tension between Europaallee, Zurich's main railway station, and Langstrasse. KOSMOS will offer space for gastronomy and culture, a place with overlapping uses at the intersection of coming and going, seeing and being seen.
KOSMOS has four different area categories which differ from each other in function and atmosphere: Sitting, Standing, Walking, and Studying. A matrix was used to assign materialization, surface texture, and color to each area. In addition, the furnishings, signage, and atmospheric lighting are specifically assigned to the areas.
Light is used in KOSMOS as a clock generator and spatial element. Instead of physical boundaries that prevent opposites from coming together, subtle transitions are created. KOSMOS has a suspended track system with integrated LEDs that divide the areas and visually merge them into a holistic image. The light lines are switched per area. They can shine downwards or illuminate the ceiling space and thus serve as supplementary lighting to the pendant luminaires. The graphic effect of the light lines shining downwards draws passers-by into the building and becomes the trademark of KOSMOS.