The newly-opened Tiffany & Co flagship store in Beijing’s Taikoo-Li Sanlitun district has instantly become a new architectural highlight in the city. Dutch studio MVRDV used a shifting glass veil to attract the attention of those who pass by.
Set at a crossroads in the northern section of the Taikoo-Li Sanlitun district in Beijing, where luxury brands play a leading role, the new Tiffany & Co flagship store obliged Dutch architecture studio MVRDV to be creative. In order to catch the attention of potential shoppers and to elevate the surrounding cityscape, the building needed to be different yet luxurious.
Play of light
In order to reach that effect, the designers opted for a 20-meter-high curving facade made from translucent, frosted glass fins, carefully selected for their ‘Tiffany blue’-hue. While the glass doesn’t move, it does interact with the changing light throughout the day and with the perspective of those passing by, thus creating the illusion of movement. The overall shape was inspired by the Bone Cuff design for Tiffany & Co by Elsa Peretti.
“When viewed from an angle, the layering effect of the dense glass fins amplifies the effects of the light, highlighting the facade’s shape. The light filtering through and reflecting off of the translucent glass creates a delicate interplay that is constantly changing as you move. And, as you pass close to the building, you see glimpses in between the fins to the jewelry inside”, explains MVRDV founding partner Jacob van Rijs.
Not only throughout the day but even at night, the play of light has been carefully thought through. Integrated light fittings illuminate the glass from within, accentuating its blue tones even further. Meanwhile, well-lit Tiffany & Co logos provide brand-recognizability from all sides of the building.
As far as sustainability is concerned, MVRDV stipulates that the fins are made from responsibly recycled and locally manufactured glass. Moreover, the façade is designed to be demountable, allowing the glass fins and mounting brackets to be removed without damage and enabling the possibility for these components to be reused or recycled at the end of their lifespan.
The new Taikoo-Li Sanlitun flagship store in Beijing marks the fifth Tiffany & Co store to be designed by MVRDV. Previously, the architecture studio already designed the façades of the Tiffany & Co stores in Cancun, Shanghai Taikoo-Li, Stuttgart, and Singapore Changi Airport.
