Heliobus® installed a Spiegelschacht® Escape in a single-family home. The system brings natural daylight into the basement while also adding an important safety feature to the existing light well.

Thanks to its sturdy, walk-on, and easy-to-open cover, the Spiegelschacht® Escape can also be used as an emergency exit in the event of a fire or other emergency, depending on the building’s layout. This solution thus combines increased natural light, improved usability, and enhanced safety in a single system.

Benefits at a glance:

• More natural daylight for basements and cellar rooms
• Eye contact with the outside world—and, depending on the situation, even a view of the sky
• Fresh air supply via built-in ventilation slots
• walkable cover that can also serve as an emergency exit
• Can be retrofitted into existing light wells, provided the structural requirements are met

This transforms a dark basement into basement bright, more functional, and more valuable living space—while also enhancing the building’s security.

Thanks to innovative daylighting solutions from Heliobus®, the basement of this private residence in Switzerland can be used as a bright, high-quality living and workspace.

By combining walk-on Glassfloor® skylights with custom-made Heliobus® Spiegelschacht® systems, an effective daylighting solution was created for the basement. Natural light is directed into the rooms below, creating a significantly friendlier, more open, and cozier atmosphere.

The walk-on skylights also offer a view of the outdoors and strengthen the connection to the outside world. As a result, the lower level no longer feels like a traditional basement, but rather like a fully-fledged living space with the same quality as a ground-floor room.

The result is a striking demonstration of how well-thought-out Daylight Engineering, high-quality materials, and architectural design can work together to transform previously underutilized spaces into exceptional living areas. Click the Video to get a glimpse of the completed project.

Customer feedback: “From the initial design to the final installation, we received excellent advice. The result is stunning: thanks to Heliobus® daylight solutions, we can now use our basement as a fully-fledged living space. The rooms are flooded with natural light, creating a welcoming atmosphere and a cozy living environment. When it comes to innovative daylight concepts, Heliobus® is our expert of choice.”

At the Museum für Gestaltung Zürich, design history isn’t just told—it’s brought to life. The new permanent exhibition at the Toni-Areal makes archival treasures permanently accessible and showcases them via transparent walkways featuring Heliobus® Glassfloor®.

Visitors walk across walkable glass surfaces suspended above one of Europe’s most significant design collections. This creates an extraordinary exhibition experience that impressively combines architecture, transparency, and spatial perception.

Heliobus® is proud to make a significant architectural and atmospheric contribution to this exhibition with Glassfloor®. The system combines safe walkability, high-quality design, and a unique effect on light and space.

Located at Thurgauerstrasse 35 in Zurich-Oerlikon, the Garage Zürich Nord is a modern new building constructed by Emil Frey AG. The building comprises seven upper floors and three basement levels and offers space for various car brands, spacious showrooms, event areas, and modern infrastructure.

Ten walk-on Glassfloor® skylights from Heliobus® were installed in this challenging urban construction project. They were integrated into the terrace and provide natural daylight to the driveway and customer entrance area below.

Glassfloor® skylights blend seamlessly into the architectural design, combining safe walkability with high-quality aesthetics. At the same time, they demonstrate how innovative daylighting solutions can be used in dense urban environments to enhance functionality, aesthetics, and the overall quality of the space.

Sleep like a log—with natural light. At the Gasthaus Hof in Appenzell, a former bowling alley has been transformed into a modern boutique hotel. Where balls once rolled, there are now twelve stylish guest rooms, each measuring about 12 square meters.

This unique conversion was made possible by innovative daylighting technology from Heliobus®. Glassfloor® directs natural light into the basement, creating bright, welcoming spaces that are surprisingly pleasant to be in.

The Glassfloor® elements used combine natural light, walkable glass architecture, and high safety standards—including a fire protection solution designed for demanding building applications.

The result is an extraordinary hotel concept: located underground, yet bright, safe, and atmospheric. It serves as an example of how existing spaces can be Daylight Engineering and architecturally enhanced through thoughtful Daylight Engineering .

As part of the partial renovation of the Pfyn Elementary School, 11 GLASSFLOOR® Chrome skylights from Heliobus® provide effective natural lighting in the basement.

The walk-on, slip-resistant skylights bring natural daylight into the underground passageway leading to the classrooms. At the same time, the area above remains fully usable and continues to serve as a safe, walkable playground for the children.

Thanks to their seamless integration into the architecture, GLASSFLOOR® Chrome elements add modern design accents and significantly improve the quality of light in the space below. This creates a bright, welcoming, and functional connection between the outdoor area and the basement.

Architectural firm: Meier Architektur Frauenfeld

A total of 18 GLASSFLOOR® elements in the Chrome and Pure finishes were used in a recently completed construction project.

The innovative, walk-on glass floors feature full-surface slip resistance and allow natural daylight to flood into the basement area below. This makes the commercial spaces in the basement significantly brighter, more inviting, and more functional.

Heliobus® handled the planning and installation. The result is a functional and architecturally sophisticated daylighting solution that effectively combines safe accessibility, modern design, and improved light quality.

Four walk-through skylights blend seamlessly into the playground of the new Kočevje Kindergarten building in Slovenia. The rooms below are flooded with natural daylight, creating a bright, welcoming atmosphere.

At the same time, new and exciting possibilities open up for the children: they can experience natural light, transparency, and architecture in a playful way. The round skylights in the GLASSFLOOR® Circle design are walkable and feature a slip-resistant surface, ensuring that the playground remains safe to use.

The project was carried out in collaboration with the architectural firm Svet Vmes, which has already designed and implemented numerous innovative school and educational projects in Slovenia.

Plenty of natural light for a living room in the basement: Two Heliobus® Mirror Shafts® channel sunlight and daylight deep into the room, creating a bright, welcoming atmosphere that noticeably enhances the quality of life.

Depending on the position of the sun, fascinating patterns of light are created in the room. Instead of looking at a traditional basement wall, the view opens up to the outside—ideally, even directly to the sky. This makes the basement feel much more open, inviting, and connected to the outside world.

Outside on the ground floor, the walk-on light well covers blend seamlessly into the terrace without any thresholds. Fresh air continues to flow in through integrated ventilation slots. The sturdy tempered glass is also equipped with a striped anti-slip surface.

Anti-slip protection is one of many options available to customize the Heliobus® Spiegelschacht® to meet specific needs in terms of usage, safety, and design.

Projects by Heliobus®: Design and Installation
Client: Private

The pictures clearly show how the Heliobus® Spiegelschacht® directs natural daylight into the room. The light extends into the adjacent hallway, making the guest room in the basement significantly brighter, friendlier, and more inviting.

A particular benefit is the new view of the outside world: guests can look basement at the sky basement and watch the weather. This creates a more open feel to the space, making the basement seem basement and less like an underground space.

Thanks to the Heliobus® Spiegelschacht®, the guest room has gained a noticeable boost in atmosphere, comfort, and overall appeal. The room now feels brighter, more upscale, and significantly more pleasant to use.

Projects by Heliobus®: Design and implementation
Client: Private

A long skylight strip measuring 20 × 1 m floods the swimming pool below with plenty of natural daylight. This creates a bright, open, and pleasant atmosphere inside.

Another skylight strip measuring 8.5 × 0.7 m was integrated into one of the seating areas, bringing natural light into the fitness room below. This makes the space significantly brighter, more inviting, and more pleasant to use.

The design and development were carried out in collaboration with the architectural firm Glasnhof. The custom-made GLASSFLOOR® skylights were installed on site and blend seamlessly into the architecture.

A total of seven GLASSFLOOR® skylights have been installed in the two playgrounds at the Töss school complex. They bring natural daylight into the areas below while allowing the playgrounds to be used without restriction.

Despite their large dimensions, the walkable glass panels meet high structural requirements. Among other things, they are designed to withstand a point load of 2 tons per 20 × 20 cm and a surface load of 1 ton per square meter. This means that, depending on the design, the skylights are even suitable for vehicle traffic.

A slip-resistant surface also ensures safety in everyday use. This allows children to use the playgrounds safely even in changing weather conditions, while the rooms below benefit from natural daylight.

A fitness room in basement a sauna and shower is made possible thanks to the Heliobus® Spiegelschacht® . This makes the room appear bright, friendly, and inviting—with a quality of light that significantly enhances the basement.

For this project, the client requested full-surface slip resistance for the walkable skylight. This enhances safety in the outdoor area while maintaining the natural light in the room below. However, this design restricts the unobstructed view of the mirror module or the sky.

This project demonstrates how the Heliobus® Mirror Shaft® can provide more natural light, enhance the quality of the space, and improve usability even in challenging basement areas with fitness, sauna, and shower facilities.

Work by Heliobus®: Design and implementation
In collaboration with: tecti AG
Client: tecti AG

On the ground floor of a commercial building in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, five GLASSFLOOR® panels, each measuring 100 × 100 cm, were installed. The walkable glass floors bring natural daylight into the spaces below and blend seamlessly into the architectural design.

The glass surfaces are equipped with a highly translucent, BFU-certified anti-slip coating. This preserves the effect of natural light while also improving safety for pedestrians.

In addition, GLASSFLOOR® skylights in this design are drive-over—for vehicles with a maximum gross weight of 3.5 tons or a single load of up to 1 ton. This solution thus combines natural light, load-bearing capacity, safety, and high-quality design in a single system.

Light Guide Supplies several floors with daylight

Problem:
There was very little natural light on the upper floor and in the center of the house. One reason for this was the traditional Bernese hipped roof with a deep overhang, which severely restricted the amount of natural light entering the building.

Concept and solution by Heliobus®:
Heliobus® developed a custom daylighting concept in which natural sunlight and daylight are captured through a south-facing roof opening. From there, the light is directed through a vertical, mirrored shaft from the attic to the upper floor and on down to the ground floor.

Strategically placed light sources provide natural daylight and direct sunlight to a total of four different rooms. This ensures that light is directed precisely where it is needed in the building—including areas that are difficult to reach with traditional window solutions.

Customizable light control:
Motorized light control allows users to flexibly adjust the distribution of natural light. For example, maximum natural light can be directed into a specific room, while less-used rooms remain dimmed accordingly.

The project demonstrates how well-designed Daylight Engineering can provide natural light to Daylight Engineering floors of a building and sustainably improve indoor environmental quality.

Projects by Heliobus®: Design, production, and implementation
Client: Private

Three treatment rooms at PHYSIO PLUS AG in Dielsdorf were each equipped with a Heliobus® Mirror Shaft® . This allows natural daylight to enter the rooms in a targeted manner, creating a bright, friendly atmosphere.

The bright, airy therapy rooms have a welcoming atmosphere and can be used as fully equipped physical therapy rooms. Patients benefit from a more pleasant environment, a higher quality of care, and a stronger connection to the outside world.

Both inside and out, Heliobus® Spiegelschacht® systems enhance the building’s aesthetic appeal and functionality. They improve natural light in the basement, making the spaces brighter, more attractive, and more functional.

Work by Heliobus®: Design and implementation
In collaboration with: Lienhard Partner Client Consulting
Client: PHYSIO PLUS AG

Thanks to natural daylight, Dermapraxis AG in Wädenswil can now use its basement space as fully functional practice rooms. Four spacious Heliobus® Mirror Shafts® direct daylight into the basement, significantly enhancing both the functionality and atmosphere of the previously dark rooms.

The bright basement rooms now house a day clinic, an examination room, a pre-operative preparation room, and a conference room. The improved natural lighting creates a more pleasant environment for both patients and the practice staff.

This project demonstrates how Heliobus® Light Wells® can significantly enhance the quality of the environment, improve wayfinding, and optimize the use of space—even in medical facilities. Basement spaces that were previously difficult to use have been transformed into bright, inviting, and functional medical practice areas.

Projects by Heliobus®: Design and implementation
In collaboration with: KillerLei AG, Architecture and Construction of Medical and Dental Practices
Client: Dr. Beat basement, Dermapraxis AG

The basement room of a holiday home in Mallorca shines in daylight. Now the playroom and study are also being used lively. Thanks to a generous Mirror shaft®, the room is flooded with daylight and allows for a pleasant feel-good atmosphere with reference to the outdoors.

Work of Heliobus AG: Concept and realisation
Client: Private customer

At the St.Leonhard-Strasse in St.Gallen, the busy intersection is to be freed from non-motorised traffic. For this purpose, a bicycle tunnel is planned under the intersection. In order to make the underground tunnel as pleasant as possible for cyclists and pedestrians, light is to be brought into the tunnel via various daylight systems. Heliobus® was consulted as a daylight expert from the very beginning in order to create the most pleasant atmosphere possible in the tunnel.

Work: Concept
Client: Civil Engineering Office St.Gallen

Thanks to sufficient daylight, the Nonnenbach school kindergarten can now also use the basement as a fully-fledged playroom. Five Mirror shaft®s from Heliobus direct the daylight into the basement. The number of children at the Nonnenbach school in Kressbronn has been rising steadily for a few years. For this reason, another movement room and a small group room have been installed in the basement. Inside, the Mirror shaft®s bring in daylight and sunlight; outside, the accessible light well covers of the Mirror shaft®s blend harmoniously into the surroundings.
The children and teachers as well as those responsible in the community are thrilled.

Work: Concept, implementation
Client: Municipality of Kressbronn on Lake Constance

Six GLASSFLOOR circles with a diameter of 100 cm, reveal mirroring and room closure, bring daylight into the sterile corridor of the clinic. The waiting area for patients benefits from five round skylights. In addition, two daylight shafts were installed in the recovery room. Daylight has been proven not only to promote health and recovery, but also to increase well-being.

Work: Concept, implementation
Client: Berit Paracelsus Clinic

In the garden of the modern new building on a slope, three round skylights, each with a diameter of approx. 1 metre, were recessed at ground level. The underground car park gains lightness and dynamism thanks to the daylight.

Work: Concept, implementation

A passageway connects two houses of a retirement home. Eight rectangular Glassfloor chrome (250 x 80 cm) provide the passageway with changing daylight in an unconventional arrangement and bring playfulness and lightness. Thanks to the flush installation, the upper unit remains accessible without barriers.

Work: Concept, implementation
Client: Sömmerli retirement home

Three rectangular Glassfloor chrome with dimensions of 250 x 80 cm illuminate a private indoor pool and set accents in the interior. Outdoors, the focus is on aesthetics.

Work: Concept, implementation

In order to obtain an optimal amount of daylight for the workshop in the basement, two skylights measuring 100 x 100 cm were recessed into the terrace. The accessibility ensures barrier-free use of the veranda for the family.

Work: Concept, implementation

The square Glassfloor chrome blends seamlessly and elegantly into the terrace of the detached house and offers the interior reference to the weather and time of day.

Work: Concept, implementation

Two large skylights with glass divisions bring daylight into the chalet's bath and shower area. The heated interior glass reduces condensation. The full-surface slip resistance also serves as a privacy screen. The terrace remains accessible without barriers.

Work: Concept, implementation

The set-up kitchen of the Oberwaid Hotel and Clinic is located in the basement. Due to the generous supply of daylight in the Mirror shaft®, no special labour law restrictions had to be taken into account for working in the basement.

Work: Concept, implementation
Cooperation with: HRS Real Estate AG St. Gallen
Client: Oberwaid Hotel and Clinic

The walkable skylight was used here as a light band to make the dining area below more friendly and brighter. The full-surface anti-slip surface also serves as a privacy screen.

Work: Concept, implementation

The Hotel Säntispark wants to offer its employees a pleasant working atmosphere. The break room was a thorn in the side, as it was dark and did not offer an inviting atmosphere. Since the installation of the Mirror shaft® in the existing light shaft and the resulting daylight, the employees like to spend their breaks in the basement.

Work: Concept, implementation
Collaboration with: Carlos Martinez Architekten AG
Client: Hotel Säntispark

Many rooms of this terrace house flat are located in the rear area. In order to make these rooms bright and pleasant, several Mirror shaft®s were installed. The flat is now flooded with daylight, so that the exclusive kitchen and bathroom invite you to linger.

Work: Concept, implementation
Collaboration with: Architrema GmbH
Client: Bellevie Wohnen AG
Client: private

A bathroom in the basement does not always have to be dark and lit only with artificial light. With the Heliobus®Mirror shaft®, this bathroom appears in a much brighter and more pleasant atmosphere. This bathtub invites you to linger.

Work: Concept, implementation

The dark storage room in the basement knows every homeowner. In this case, with the help of the Mirror shaft® from Heliobus®, it was turned into a cozy oasis to linger in. Who wouldn't like to read an exciting book here?

Work: Concept, implementation
Client: private
Client: private

The GAIA Hotel was faced with the challenge of offering its guests something special in the unused basement. The hotel management decided on a wellness area. Since the room was rather small, they looked for lighting that would make the room appear large and bright. They quickly arrived at daylight as a source of illumination. With several Mirror shaft®s from Heliobus®, the room is now illuminated with daylight. The feedback from the guests about the wellness area in the middle of the city is convincing.

Work: Concept, implementation Client: Hotel Gaia, Basel
Collaboration with: Immo Bau AG Northwest Switzerland
Client: Gaia Hotel Basel

A gymnastics room and a doctor's office were built in the basement of the Alp Centre for the Elderly. The total of four Mirror shaft®s from Heliobus® flood the rooms with daylight and create a friendly atmosphere.

Work: Concept, implementation
Client: Alp Betagtenzentren Emmen AG
Client: Anliker AG

The basement of these exclusive houses in Ascona has been completely converted into living space. With the Mirror shaft® from Heliobus®, the rooms are illuminated with real daylight and thus offer a very pleasant living atmosphere. The available daylight created offices, fitness rooms or guest rooms in the basement.

Via the installed mirrors, there is now also visual contact with the blue sky and the passing clouds. Ventilation of the rooms is still possible through the ventilation slots in the light well cover. In addition, when the window is open, sounds such as birds chirping, can be heard from the garden. Thus, despite basement , there is a connection to the outside world.

Work: Concept, implementation
Collaboration with: Tiziano Vannini, architect
Client: Antonini + Ghidossi SA Vittorio Ruperto
Client: Bea Huwiler Promotion GmbH, Parco Contea Ascona

In this international project, the challenge was to flood the interior of the station at Potsdamer Platz with daylight. Thanks to Heliobus Light Pipe , this problem was solved brilliantly: it is not only bright in the basement, but also an architectural highlight for tourists and residents.

Work: Concept, implementation
Client: Berlin

Home office with daylight

In the basement of this family house was set up a home office. Due to the installation of the Mirror shaft® of Heliobus® the office is flooded with daylight. Through the visual contact to the sky via the installed mirrors, a connection to the outside world is created. When the window is open, sounds from outside, such as birds chirping, can be heard. In addition, ventilation of the office is still possible through the ventilation slots in the light well cover.

Work: Concept, implementation
Client: EFH owner canton Solothurn

Of course, an office without daylight does not work. Therefore, with the Mirror shaft® by Heliobus® a connection to the outside world was created, which supplies the room with daylight.

Work: Concept, implementation
Collaboration with: Arento AG
Client: private

Eight pure Glassfloor are elegantly integrated into the fire brigade magazine and workshop in Hünibach. The terrace can thus be used as a barrier-free break location and meeting place. At the same time, the rooms below benefit from the zenith light.

Work: Concept, implementation
Client: Community of Hünibach

In this house, the bedroom in the basement was equipped with two Mirror shaft®s from Heliobus®. The relatively long light shafts (150cm x 90cm) ensure optimal light flooding.

Work: Concept, implementation
Collaboration with: Go Interiors GmbH
Client: private

The listed building is in a prime location on the Bosporus. Many interior rooms could not be sufficiently supplied with daylight. In close cooperation between the architect and the Heliobus daylight engineers, a light pipe was created over four floors. This provides the dark rooms with daylight and convinces with its aesthetic design at night.

Work: Concept, implementation, on-site installation

Since there was a lot of unused space in the basement of this house, one room was converted into an office. With the Mirror shaft® from Heliobus®, the home office is now supplied with daylight.

Work: Concept, implementation

Two GLASSFLOORs, one above the other, provide more daylight and space in the rooms. The elegant design of the GLASSFLOOR pure blends harmoniously into the living environment.

Three daylight shafts supply the rooms in the basement with daylight. Due to the exposure to salty air, the modules were increased to V4A chrome steel quality for a higher rust protection factor. Furthermore, the modules were equipped with active ventilation and extra-white mirrors for optimised and true-colour daylight rendering.

Work: Concept, realisation and installation on site
Client: CKMY Architects