Nestlé has opened its doors to the public. On the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the world’s largest food company, Utrecht experience design bureau Tinker imagineers has designed the family experience nest in Switzerland. An open house with a floor area of 6,626 m2 (3500m2 exhibition space), located in Vevey at Lake Geneva, in the place where Henri Nestlé established his first factory in 1866. 

More than one hundred Dutch designers, engineers and builders worked together on the scenography for nest. Tinker involved many other creative companies in the € 45 million project, including Bruns (engineering and production) and Mansveld (AV and lighting technics).

The Swiss Concept Consult Architectes renovated the industrial heritage site and covered it with a magnificent glass roof and steel construction. Underneath, Tinker designed a large, floating, organic world made up of white, flowing forms. Nest opened to visitors from 15 June.

Experience design

The big idea behind nest was simply to become more transparent and engage in an honest and involved dialogue about what the company stands for. Visitors will receive an interactive and personal look behind the scenes. They will accompany the enterprise on a journey through the past, present and future. Nestlé displays its diversity across five different zones, with ‘care, enjoy, improve & share’ as the motif.

An eye-catching feature in Piazza, the central atrium, is a life-size tree composed of more than 1200 flowers handmade from various product packages. Fondations brings visitors back to when the company was established in the 19^th century in an authentic, timed attraction. The innovation here lies in the use of early cinema techniques developed during the same industrial age. By combining shadow plays, magic lanterns, ombres Chinoise and more, illusion becomes reality.

Zeitgeist is devoted to 150 years of history and links Nestlé’s products, images and stories to iconic moments in world history. The space occupies two storeys and is almost a museum in itself. Inside there is a magical treasure room with a selection of very special objects, such as the prototype for the first Nespresso machine.

The present-day Forum uses interactive ways to make visitors conscious of the social challenges in nutrition and health and appeals to collective responsibility. The actions of all of the visitors influence a surprising light installation at the heart of the room.

Visions is the grand finale of nest. It consists of a spectacular world under the glass roof and symbolises the future. Visitors experience the passion of scientists and their creative innovations through games and a VR experience. Children have their own discovery journey that leads them through nest. 

Credits

Tinker imagineers, concept, scenography, AV & Multi Media productions, Utrecht – The Netherlands

Concept Consult Architectes, architecture, Lausanne – Switzerland

Bruns BV, development, engineering and production of scenery & fit out, Bergeijk – The Netherlands

Mansveld Projecten & Services BV, AV and lighting hardware and programming, Eindhoven – The Netherlands

Rina van der Weij, Artwork, Utrecht – The Netherlands

YiPP interactive people, interactive games, Amsterdam – The Netherlands

The First Floor, 3D visuals, Kinect games, Rotterdam – The Netherlands

Rapenburg Plaza, Light design, Amsterdam – The Netherlands

Tonwelt, audioguide, Berlin – Germany

Ziaja & Dorst Multimedia Solutions, voice-overs, Leiderdorp – The Netherlands

LucidPixel, 3D particle animation, Leiden – The Netherlands

Rockfish recording studio, Musicscape, Utrecht – The Netherlands

Tristan Robin, Actor, presenter, London – United Kingdom

March21, André Kloer, Mini documentaries, Amsterdam – The Netherlands

Most audio post, voice-overs and music for Fondations and Collection, Amsterdam – The Netherlands

About Tinker imagineers

Tinker imagineers from Utrecht, established by Erik Bär and Stan Boshouwers, is an experience design bureau that will celebrate its 25th anniversary in 2016. A team of 40 consultants, designers, producers, content and multimedia developers realises musea, visitors centres and experiences for business and community organisations and has a broad national and international portfolio