Place where Berker switches control dozens of unique luminaires

This is not an ordinary showroom or a sample apartment. BOMMA Atelier impresses and draws visitors literally into the scene. Unique in its layout, the symbiosis of custom-made original furniture with pieces from leading contemporary brands, and, at first glance, the perfect tuning of the interior with a hint of internationality. A living organism instead of typical showroom stiffness. And plenty of light from dozens of fixtures by the Czech brand BOMMA, controlled by berker switches. Because in this creative atmosphere, the most beautiful switches in the world cannot be missing.

In the ground floor corner apartment of the Cubist house Diamant on Spálená Street in Prague, designed in 1912 by architect Emil Králíček, lived and created Adolf Hoffmeister during the First Republic. This writer, politician, and leading figure of the Czech avant-garde designed his apartment himself and had it furnished with custom-made functionalist furniture. We can still be amazed today at how timeless the quality of this interior equipment has proven to be, and we still enjoy some ideas over a hundred years old – such as a built-in bar. It is this unique space, infused with a nonconventional and creative atmosphere, that the Czech crystal lighting manufacturer BOMMA chose as its historically first showroom.

The concept of BOMMA Atelier goes much further than just presenting a portfolio of crystal lights. The goal was to create a unique space that would inspire and live its own life, serving as a meeting place for discussions among architects, experts, and other design enthusiasts. To achieve true uniqueness of the entire space, Bomma's creative director Václav Mlynář collaborated with Milanese interior designer Sophie Wannenes. Together, they complemented the renovated apartment's furnishing with top-notch designer furniture from leading European and global companies, harmonizing wallpaper, carpets, tiles, and switches down to the smallest details: The result is 178 square meters of resonance between functionalist heritage and 21st-century design, illuminated by dozens of lights from the Czech glassworks and complemented by products from the sister glassworks Rückl.

“Sophie Wannenes, with her characteristic Italian approach to design, stands out from the ubiquitous minimalism, able to connect different styles and emphasize the character of individual fixtures with bold combinations,” explains the overall intent Eva Kozarová, marketing director of BOMMA. “The concept is based on current European trends, into which colors are mixed to create an almost scenographic yet entirely harmonious atmosphere. The result is a real place for living, working, and education, a space for designers and brands united by a love for design,” reveals Sophie Wannenes.

One of the brands present in BOMMA Atelier is berker switches, produced by Hager, and supplied to BOMMA Atelier by the design store Monobrand. “Choosing switches for BOMMA Atelier was a beautiful task,” recalls Katrin Grund, founder and owner of the Monobrand store, one of BOMMA Atelier's partners. “The Atelier space is organic, and the mood and overall tone of the interior change in its individual parts, so we tailored the selection of switches for each nook,” adds Katrin Grund. Thus, the individual BOMMA fixtures are ultimately controlled by three design lines of berker: the retro rotary switches from the berker series 1930 in black plastic, whose appearance and material directly evoke the 1930s and are therefore a common choice worldwide for functionalist interiors. The berker series 1930 Softtouch switches share the same shape but stand out with their material: they are custom-made switches with a velvety soft surface. The third design line chosen for the Atelier is berker R.1. This unorthodox switch combines a square frame with a round central rocker, pushing the design of switching elements a hundred years forward. Its overall appearance does not deny the spirit of the millennial.

“We are proud that the complete collection of BOMMA light fixtures is controlled by our berker switches, which we somewhat unabashedly say are the most beautiful switches in the world,” smiles Thomas Grund, general director of Hager in the Czech Republic, adding a bit of math: “BOMMA chose this beautiful space from 1912 aptly because the brand's inception dates exactly 100 years after the construction of this house. Our berker switches, however, are much older – the founding of the switch factory by the Berker brothers dates back to 1919, so we celebrated the centennial of the brand a few years ago. So, with a bit of exaggeration and from the position of an older friend, we can afford to wish our colleagues from BOMMA that their brand also receives recognition and design awards for at least another century,” concludes Thomas Grund.

• Location: Diamant House, Spálená 4, Prague 1, 110 00
• Interior Design: Václav Mlynář and Sophie Wannenes
• Area: 178 m²
• Artworks: M. K. Čejková, M. Chochola, V. Drahotová, A. Kotzmannová, P. Fabo & others. Under the curatorial supervision of Danica Kovářová.
• Photo: BoysPlayNice and David Raub