As children, we spent our first-ever pocket money on sweets at the local kiosk. Despite our parents’ protestations, cola frogs and and caramel sticks were the top priority. As adults, we bought newspapers, magazines and cigarettes from the same kiosk. We filled in our lottery tickets and dreamed of a jackpot that never came. The man or woman behind the counter knew immediately whether you wanted to talk to them or not. “Kiosk – Ein Kaleidoskop” is a new book that pays homage to all the little kiosks that we know and love around the corner, at the station or in the shopping centre – a wistful trip down memory lane, because the classic kiosk in Switzerland is a dying phenomenon. Tobacco, sweets and printed newspapers are less popular than during the kiosk heyday of the 20th century. Switzerland’s leading kiosk operator Valora still has around 800 sales outlets offering an expanded range including take-away food and power bank charging stations. “Kiosk” is a beautifully designed book that also explores kiosks through the eyes of younger people and puts them in a cultural, architectural and consumer-related context. Its stories and 100 or so images provide a fitting tribute. Kiosks are, according to the publishers, a place “where news from around the world lies in neatly stacked piles”. And “where the hasty and sleepless start the day”.
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