MVRDV has wrapped the new Tiffany & Co. store in hand-crafted ceramic elements in the shape of diamonds in Stuttgart, Germany. 

Named Tiffany Façade Stuttgart, the 165-square-metre building references Tiffany’s history of material innovation to create a three-dimensional, striking façade. 

The iridescent sparkle of these diamonds, which are invisibly set onto the glass storefront to create a "floating" illusion, is reminiscent of the Favrile Glass, which Louis Comfort Tiffany patented in 1894.

In order to create a strategy for developing façades for Tiffany, the designers at MVRDV came up with a number of ideas that were influenced by the history of Tiffany & Co. and could be transformed into imaginative, exquisitely designed, striking architectural results. 

The Stuttgart store was created using a variety of themes, including the desire to experiment with materials and a strong sense of three-dimensionality, which were influenced by the delicate texture of Tiffany jewelry and the exquisite geometry of diamond cuts.

Using specially made steel fixings, 2,829 ceramic diamonds have been mounted directly into the glass storefront of the façade. Installed on the exterior and interior of the glass, this creates the illusion that guests are in a surreal environment full of floating diamonds.

These diamonds' densities are changed to provide the desired transparency and opacity; they "dissolve" around window displays and at the building's corner to let views into and out of the store.

A "slip-casting" technique is used to manually cast each diamond, after which it is coated in one of nine colors that create a gradient from Tiffany's trademark robin's-egg blue to a pure white. In addition to helping Tiffany draw in customers, this color gradient makes the store blend in with the neutral hues of the Dorotheen Quartier.

"In our façade design for the Stuttgart store, we tried to capture the sense of wonder and enchantment that has characterised the world of Tiffany & Co. ever since its inception," said MVRDV founding partner Jacob van Rijs. 

"Being surrounded by seemingly floating diamonds, with their shimmering iridescence, we hope will do justice to this history," Van Rijs added.

Koninklijke Tichelaar, the oldest ceramics factory in the Netherlands and a master of specialty glazes, produced the diamonds. The diamonds are completed with an iridescent shine in addition to the colors that comprise the façade's gradient, creating a gentle, dynamic finish that varies according on the viewing angle, weather, and lighting conditions. 

In order to produce a delicate, realistic sheen, Dutch ceramic and glaze company Tichelaar and MVRDV collaborated to develop this glaze, which exploits deliberate fluctuations in mineral composition and glazing temperature over the diamond surface. 

The effect alludes to the iridescent, lavishly colored glass known as Favrile, which Louis Comfort Tiffany created and patented in the 1890s.

Recently, MVRDV created a glittering store for Tiffany & Co, featuring a diamond-studded facade in Shanghai. In addition, the firm designed one-of-a-kind façade made up of recycled ocean plastics for the Tiffany & Co. store at Changi Airport in Singapore. 

Architecture practice MVRDV was established in 1993 in Rotterdam, the Netherlands by Winy Maas, Jacob van Rijs, and Nathalie de Vries. MVRDV became a globally recognized firm after achieving early success with projects like the Dutch Public Broadcaster VPRO headquarters and the WoZoCo senior home complex in Amsterdam.

Project facts

Project name: Tiffany Façade Stuttgart

Architects: MVRDV

Location: Stuttgart, Germany

Year: 2022-2024

Client: Tiffany & Co.

Founding Partner in charge: Jacob van Rijs

Partner: Fokke Moerel

Design Team: Aser Giménez Ortega, Elien Deceuninck, Monica Di Salvo, Simone Costa, Natalia Lipczuk, Basak Gunalp, Tatiana Gurduza

Partners

Ceramics: Koninklijke Tichelaar Makkum 

Contractor: SOMEC Mestieri Group 

Lighting: METIS Lighting

All images © Gionata Xerra Studio.

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