TIFFANY & CO. REVEALS ADDITIONS TO ITS FIFTH AVENUE FLAGSHIP STORE
New York City institution Tiffany & Co. has revealed exterior renderings of the transformation underway at its Fifth Avenue flagship store.
The upper addition (floors 8, 9, and 10) of the 10-story architectural icon located at 727 Fifth Avenue will be completely reimagined from office space originally constructed in 1980, into a new exhibition, event, and client space. Surrounded by a curtain of undulating glass complementing the classic limestone façade below, the contemporary structure above this historic building echoes the height and grandeur of the flagship’s timeless main floor. Construction began on Tiffany’s flagship transformation in spring 2019 and is estimated to be complete in spring 2022.
“The Tiffany & Co. Fifth Avenue flagship is arguably one of the most beloved and well-known luxury retail spaces in the world. It’s a place where so many have memories of important moments in their lives, filled with emotion and anticipation of the extraordinary,” said Reed Krakoff, chief artistic officer at Tiffany & Co. “Tiffany’s newly transformed flagship will reflect the future of our brand while honoring our 183-year legacy.”
A holistic transformation of this magnitude has not taken place in the building’s 80-year history. Tiffany is embarking on the project in partnership with renowned architectural firm, The Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA). Led by Shohei Shigematsu, partner at OMA New York, he is engaged on specific aspects of the transformation–including a reimagined upper addition.
“Tiffany’s Fifth Avenue flagship is more than a retail space; it is a destination with a public dimension,” said Shigematsu. “The new addition is informed by programmatic needs of the evolving brand—a gathering place that acts as a contemporary counterpart to the iconic ground-level space and its activities. The floating volume over a terrace provides a clear visual cue to a vertical journey of diverse experiences throughout the building.”
The corniced parapet of the original building will be mirrored by a slumped glass façade above. The eye is drawn upward creating a gentle transition between the two structures. This ribbon-like design detail brings a softness among the curtain walls of the building’s neighbors. The recessed glass exhibition and event space will echo the feeling of the main floor with its column-free, double-height ceilings. The expansive glass façade brings an openness to both sides of the building and opens up to an outdoor terrace that will offer guests a view from the world’s most famous intersection for luxury retail, and up Fifth Avenue to Central Park.
In the interim, the Tiffany Flagship Next Door located at the adjacent 6 East 57th Street will continue to serve as Tiffany & Co.’s home until the original flagship’s completion in spring 2022.
