MVRDV creates a sparkling diamond facade for Tiffany & Co. in Shanghai

The 187-year-old American jewelry house Tiffany & Co.’s 533-square-meter retail store in Shanghai now has a jewel-inspired glass diamond facade reflecting the brand’s identity in China’s bright and colorful cityscape.

The luxury store is situated in the Taikoo-Li Qiantan retail development, which is home to many international luxury brands. This façade was designed by MVRDV, who had previously worked on another Tiffany store façade at the Changi airport in Singapore in 2023.

Tiffany & Co. has been known for its craftsmanship and beautiful diamond jewelry designs, which is reflected in the façade pattern consisting of 6,988 handcrafted glass “diamonds,” each 21 centimeters wide, 13 centimeters high, and weighing 1.5 kilograms. Each diamond is suspended on thin, high-tension steel cable coated with mirrored steel finishing, giving the façade a dazzling effect by the night and during the day, these diamonds refract and reflect light from the surroundings, creating an glittering pleasing impact.

These diamond elements have low energy, colour-changing LED lights on their top and bottom frames that facilitate these elements to glow in multiple colours, including signature Tiffany Blue making the façade a simple yet bold design, glittering through the night lights of Shanghai. The diamonds are placed on the façade in a way it not only looks aesthetic but also is functionally transparent while giving a random scattering effect.

MVRDV is known for its sustainable practices, which is reflective in the fact that the handcrafted elements used for the façade only use mechanical connections, therefore they can be dismantled and reused or recycled in the future.

This veil of diamonds is more spread out on the first-floor level where the café and the store balcony are located, providing an unobstructed view as the outlet is in the prime location of an affluent retail complex which was built in 2021.

This Tiffany & Co store reflects the New York charm and elements that stand out in the sea of other luxury brands, MVRDV’S contemporary design, respect for the brand’s past legacy, and responsiveness to local context makes this outlet a beacon of modern design.