The Library
Studio Hinton was commissioned to design a new architectural showroom in Zurich, called Hochwert Library. The space was conceived as a collaborative hub for architects, interior designers, and their clients.
The client represents premium brands in natural stone, tiles, bathroom fixtures, wood flooring, and architectural surfaces. They wanted a showroom that would stand out from the many conventional displays in the city.
The vision was to go beyond traditional product display and instead create an inspirational environment, where design professionals could work with suppliers and their clients. Studio Hinton was tasked with designing a showroom that was both functional and inspiring, a place that would showcase high-quality materials, while offering a warm and inviting atmosphere for its clients.
Custom showroom furniture was designed to display the materials in a cohesive and engaging way, giving creatives easy access to work tools to create the pallets for their projects. A carefully curated color and material palette was developed to highlight a variety of brands, while ensuring the space felt organized and appealing to both designers and their clients. The design prioritizes, strong colors, contrasts and textures and highlights the beauty of stones, wood and ceramics.
In addition, a carefully chosen colour and material scheme unites the space. Strong contrasts and textures highlight the beauty of natural stone, timber, and ceramics, while keeping the showroom warm and welcoming.
In contrast to many Zurich showrooms that follow a uniform look, this project emphasises individuality. By combining modern interior architecture with authentic materials, Studio Hinton has created a place that encourages creativity and exploration.
The result reflects the practice’s ethos of designing spaces with purpose, materiality, and character tailored to their clients. The space now stands as a showcase of what thoughtful interior architecture can achieve—spaces that are functional, inspiring, and built for connection.
More than a showroom, Hochwert Library is a workspace, a gallery, and a community hub for Zurich’s architects and interior designers. Curated collections of design references, specialist literature, and material samples make the library a resource for inspiration and collaboration. It is intended as a living archive that evolves with Zurich’s design community, offering a place to research, connect, and exchange ideas.
