Tiffany & Co. has taken its admiration for art and artists, including its own Elsa Peretti, to new heights at its just-opened Beijing flagship, located in the Taikoo-li Sanlitun shopping center.
The store’s facade, designed by architect Jacob van Rijs of MVRDV, is jaw-dropping for its beauty and scale: Textured-glass “fins” that rise up the full four-story height of the building look like shimmering waves, which seem to change into different shades of that famous Tiffany Blue as the day’s light moves across the surface. The curving, translucent fins were locally manufactured of recycled glass.
Their shape was inspired by the Bone Cuff, a classic Tiffany jewelry piece designed by Peretti in 1970. In a statement, Tiffany described the building’s exterior as uniting the maison’s legacy of glassmaking with a contemporary interpretation of its brand identity. Whew—we agree.
Tiffany cut the ribbon on the Beijing boutique at a March 14 grand-opening party attended by actors Ziyi Zhang, Tiffany Tang, and Ruoyun Zhang (the latter two are China house ambassadors) as well as Tiffany’s China brand ambassadors, actors Elaine Zhong, Yunrui Li, and Xingyue Wang and singer Yuqi Song.
The store’s interior is like a gallery, with a wide array of art on display. It also features some vintage furnishing and decor, including a Tiffany dogwood table lamp from 1900. Sparkling crystal chandeliers draw visitors’ eyes up to the boutique’s gold-leaf ceiling, while handcrafted gilded accents on the walls help make the space feel warm and light.
Among the artworks on display are a bronze piece by British sculptor Tony Cragg at the foot of the staircase between the first and second floors and, upstairs, one of the window paintings in Italian artist Michelangelo Pistoletto’s Color & Light series.
On the second floor, which houses the engagement and diamond collections, iridescent flower petals cascade from a glass ceiling fixture. Nearby, a large window, titled Cupid’s Arrow, showcases gold arrows forming a heart, a nod to Tiffany’s legacy of engagement and bridal jewelry.
Top: The facade of Tiffany & Co.’s new Beijing boutique honors the brand’s legendary designer Elsa Peretti, specifically her Bone Cuff. (Photos courtesy of Tiffany & Co.)