Swarovski unveils palace made out of crystals

Diamond-like crystals manufacturer Swarovski and UK architect Asif Khan (in the photo) have built a “palace” made out of Swarovski luxury gems.

The design of the structure was inspired by a natural phenomenon known as “parhelia,” a word derived from the Greek meaning, “Beside the Sun.” This optical effect is created by using light filters through airborne ice crystals to create halos.

To recreate this phenomenon, Khan had to infuse the 1.3 million Swarovski crystals with natural and artificial light, causing his man-made structure to illuminate halos onto the surrounding walls.

“Bringing Swarovski, which you normally associate with jewellery and small objects, up to the scale of architecture, which I think is where it belongs, has been a wonderful thing,” says Asif Khan in this interview: