House of Swisscom

The «House of Swisscom» opened its doors in May 2018. The leading telecommunications provider has created a Competence and Experience Centre where private and corporate customers can relax, seek advice from Swisscom staff, and discover the latest new products. Swisscom customers can also hand in appliances in need of repair and purchase add-on products and accessories. The Centre is a far cry from being a sterile retail space. The entire space radiates a cosy atmosphere where visitors can simply drop by for a chat, a coffee and a choice of delicious snacks. And it is also possible to register and take part in Swisscom Academy courses here – all under one roof.

The building on the square in Basel originally housed a clothes shop. The premises underwent complete renovation before Swisscom moved in. In order to exploit the full potential of the room height the raw ceiling, complete with all its technical systems, was laid bare and now extends over several levels. «Given the nature and state of the ceiling, it was clear for us from the very start that we would be using track in order to insert a kind of visual suspended ceiling in the space with the aid of the lighting» Christoph Scherrer, qualified architect (ETH) at Swisscom explains. The black track blends in perfectly with the completely dark ceiling. In another area, a suspended ceiling made up of white slats has been installed to lend the space a more familiar air. This is where customers can retreat to and consult an expert member of staff. The track onto which the spotlights can be positioned and mounted as required is concealed between the slats. The result speaks of visual harmony, discreetly linking the different zones within the shop.

«The Regent spotlights applied were purposefully chosen because they integrate so well with the overall clear design. The idea was to draw attention to the space itself.» Scherrer comments. The black version of the Sua spotlights provide the base lighting in the sales space and restaurant area. The spotlights are focussed on specific objects on display, accentuating them to an optimum. From the point of view of aesthetics, Sua is a true winner. It features a discreet and compact housing with a diameter of just 80 mm. Even the control gear is incorporated into the track adapter and thus remains invisible.

In the adjacent training room, the ultra-flat Purelite row lighting system guarantees uninterrupted shadow-free lines of light. Thanks to its ultra-flat design with a height of just 35 mm, including control gear, Purelite does not come across as being a surface-mounted luminaire.

The plain and simple design of the luminaires is totally in line with the interior design concept. Along with the materials applied, the colour scheme and the furnishings, the quality of the lighting plays a significant role with respect to visitors’ feeling of well-being, thus impacting their desire to stay longer and enjoy the surroundings.