Jeweller Kutter
Retail lighting as a stage for tradition and architecture
The Mittnachtbau on Stuttgart’s Königstrasse is one of the city’s most sought-after addresses. The listed building, with its striking travertine façade, stands for timeless architectural clarity. Equally defining is the more than 200-year tradition of the Kutter jewellery business. With sensitivity to the historic fabric and the exclusive product range, the architectural practice Karolina Ćurić Architekten has reinterpreted the Jeweller Kutter x Patek Philippe Boutique. Their design concept combines material refinement and modern retail lighting to create a harmonious overall impression, placing equal emphasis on customer experience and spatial atmosphere.
Finely staged
The vision was to create a place that combines the history and tradition of the family business with a modern yet timeless design. The focus is on the close connection between goldsmithing craftsmanship and the product experience. An open, transparent design creates an inviting space that encourages personal encounters.
Lighting design meets craftsmanship
The design deliberately moves away from classic notions of a jewellery store, where customers often sit in the middle of the room with their backs to the door. Instead, an inviting, open and atmospheric space has been created. Cleverly placed niches and retreat areas ensure privacy within the open layout. In this way, the space harmoniously combines customers’ needs with the aim of creating a distinctive product experience and offering inspiring insights into the world of craftsmanship.
Lighting guidance and material contrast in dialogue
A custom-made oak mosaic parquet floor, accompanied by freestanding travertine steles, intuitively guides customers through the product presentation. SPIO’s precise light control supports this routing and creates an atmospheric environment reminiscent of a starry sky. Thanks to its minimalist design, SPIO subtly showcases the jewellery without appearing obtrusive. The light-coloured floor, combined with walls finished in clay plaster, creates a warm contrast with the dark walnut surfaces. The result is a warm, inviting atmosphere. The lighting concept enhances this effect and underlines the high-quality materiality of the interior. The conscious, resource-saving use of natural materials such as wood, natural stone and clay plaster is a central component of the design concept and emphasises the fine, handcrafted aesthetic of the jewellery.
Award-winning store design
The concept for the boutique has received numerous awards, including the INHORGENTA AWARD 2025 in the Next Generation Retail category, the Paris Design Award 2024 for Interior Design Retail and the Iconic Award 2024 for innovative shop design.
“The selected products enabled me to realise my vision of understated, directionless lighting. The luminaires integrate seamlessly into the customer journey and use targeted accent lighting to set the right highlights effectively.”
Karolina Ćurić
In the spotlight
I draw inspiration for my designs from the surroundings, whether the immediate setting of the specific site or environments I have encountered while travelling. It is always a mixture of varied impressions, materials and moods that emerge in very different places and situations and come together in a new location. The targeted use of daylight and artificial light plays a crucial role in this.
