MVRDV drapes glass veil around Tiffany & Co flagship in Beijing

A curving glass veil that appears to be "constantly changing as you move" cloaks the exterior of the flagship Tiffany & Co store in Beijing, designed by Dutch studio MVRDV.

Located in the Taikoo-Li Sanlitun neighbourhood, the store's 20-metre-high curving facade is crafted from translucent, frosted glass fins in an icy blue hue associated with Tiffany & Co.

According to MVRDV, it was designed to play with changing light over the day and give "an ethereal presence" to the four-storey building.

"When viewed from an angle, the layering effect of the dense glass fins amplifies the effects of the light, highlighting the facade's shape," said MVRDV founding partner Jacob van Rijs.

"The light filtering through and reflecting off of the translucent glass creates a delicate interplay that is constantly changing as you move," he continued.

"As you pass close to the building, you see glimpses in between the fins to the jewellery inside."

The Beijing flagship is the fifth store designed by MVRDV for Tiffany & Co, including one in Shanghai's Taikoo-Li Qiantan retail development and another in Singapore's Changi Airport.

MVRDV said its facade design for this shop pays homage to jewellery created by Italian designer Elsa Peretti for the brand, specifically her sculptural Bone Cuff.

At night, the blue-tinged glass was designed to glow outwards for a lantern-like effect, with lighting modules concealed within the support brackets.

MVRDV claimed that the facade was designed to be fully demountable, with the individual glass fins and brackets designed to be easily removed and repurposed at the end of their useful lifespan.

The interior of the store, overseen by MVRDV's head of interior Aser Gimenez Ortega, is dominated by a neutral material palette typical of Tiffany & Co, enlivened by sculptural light fixtures and glass display cases.

Another store recently completed for Tiffany & Co, which was designed by Japanese studio Jun Aoki & Associates in Ginza, Tokyo, features a similarly translucent, curving glass facade.

Elsewhere in China, MVRDV recently completed a hill-shaped viewpoint in Chengdu and a converted cement factory in Shanghai.

The photography is courtesy of Tiffany & Co.

Project credits:

Architect: MVRDV
Founding partner in charge: Jacob van Rijs
Head of interior: Aser Gimenez Ortega
Design team: Simone Costa, Türker Naci Şaylan, Monica Di Salvo, Natalia Lipczuk, Sanel
Beciri and Sofia Mermigka Angeli
Co-architect: At Zero Design
Contractor: Permasteelisa Gartner Hong Kong
Lighting designer: Cooley Monato Studio

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