Wattori

Wattori is part of a broader energy project by Eles d.o.o., which is the Slovenian transmission system operator. At the location where the Ljubljana battery storage system is installed, Eles has also established the Wattori Smart Grid Demonstration Hub. This hub is dedicated to showcasing the results of the international NEDO project and presenting other achievements by Eles in the field of smart grids.

The client envisioned a small exhibition space consisting of a modest and understated entrance platform, a foyer with access to service areas, a digital conference room, and a staircase leading to the technological core of the project. Due to the exceptional, high-tech nature of the program that this space complements, the design concept is based on readability, simplicity, and contrasts: plus and minus.

The entrance platform, almost imperceptibly integrated into the otherwise loud and visually aggressive environment of the shopping center, gives no hint of the program or the character of the interior. It does not wish to compete with its surroundings nor is it subordinated to the rules of consumerism. However, upon entering, a contrasting visual story unfolds. The interior aims to take us into a slightly mysterious world of electric voltage. Quiet dark floors, rough yet elegant steel walls, and a luminous contrast of copper glowing with light. Plus and minus. A light fixture resembling an oversized power line insulator. Soft velvet curtains and the contrasting element of an aquarium, again revealing a dual character. Plus and minus. Through two entrances, we step into the conference room – a digitally, visually, and acoustically equipped studio for meetings and presentations. A dark table, dark chairs. A glowing copper ceiling. Plus and minus.