Although numerous objects, above all from pre-historic times, have been found at archaeological excavation sites in Wattens, the tendency has been to exhibit them in depot-like settings, with limited access for visitors. In order to display these objects in an adequate way, as well as to establish a connection to Swarovski as having played an essential part in the development of Wattens, the idea was born in 2003 to create an archaeological "treasure chamber" near the Crystal Worlds. The archaeological finds were to be incorporated into the theme of "jewellery", placing the theme in turn in a local context. The museum building, which was based on a design by Carl Auböck, was conceived as a kind of "foundling", inserted into the landscape as an oversized piece of jewellery and creating a landmark beside the huge gate to the Crystal Worlds. The architectural structure itself comprises a steel construction with aluminium facing, while the roof area is equipped with an iris diaphragm to regulate the amount of available daylight. Small frameless LCD screens have been built into the walls like fragments of hidden treasure. They function as scene-setting elements as well as information carriers. A room-filling sound installation recreates the historic periods in which the objects were discovered. Eight exhibition stations trace the story of people's need to adorn themselves with jewellery from the present day to prehistoric times. In the middle of the space, an artificial excavation site presents the theme of "finding". This design initiative was discarded in 2003, but the project was resumed in 2007, at a new location and with an architectural concept by Arno Grünberger/spurwien.