Exterior view of the Tiffany flagship store facade at Taikoo-Li Sanlitun Beijing © MVRDV
Curated by ArchiRev Editorial | Feature Story | Published May 18th, 2026 | Source: MVRDV
Typologies: Retail
Themes: Leisure, Interiors
Status: Realised
Location: Beijing, China
Year: 2023–2025
Surface: 1,000 m²
Client: Tiffany & Co.
The Tiffany Façade Beijing by MVRDV brings a new kind of presence to one of the Chinese capital’s most competitive luxury retail districts. Located at a prominent crossroads in the northern section of Taikoo-Li Sanlitun — where global luxury brands line the streets — the Tiffany & Co. flagship store distinguishes itself not through scale but through material refinement. A series of curving, translucent glass fins rise the full four-storey height of the building, giving the façade an elegant, fluid quality that sets it apart from its surroundings.
It is the fifth façade designed by MVRDV for Tiffany & Co., after successful designs in Singapore Changi, Stuttgart, Shanghai Taikoo-Li, and Cancun. Every new design has a new theme, which is a new design language specific to its unique context. Similarly, the Beijing design takes a cue from the designs of jewellery designer Elsa Peretti, which have been defining a whole era of design at Tiffany & Co.
Close-up of the curved glass fins showing texture and translucency © MVRDV
A Façade Drawn from Jewellery
This is clearly seen through the form of the glass fins, which is directly inspired by Bone Cuff by Elsa Peretti—a piece known for its fluid lines and adherence to the natural geometry of the human wrist. Transposed into architecture, the design results in the formation of glass fins that are marked by their curved edges, thus bringing an element of softness to the otherwise vertical nature of the structure.
Daytime view of the full façade height showing the layering effect of the glass fins © MVRDV
The glass used was chosen for its natural blue colour, a characteristic feature that matches Tiffany Blue® without any further processing needed. The fins are sustainable in nature because they are made up of recycled materials and are produced locally, thus minimizing the costs of production. Each fin is mounted independently and vertically; viewing the fins at an angle accentuates their layered effect with the aid of light.
Jacob van Rijs, one of the founding partners of MVRDV, explains how the façade moves in relation to the light: “The play with the light coming through and reflecting on the translucent glass is an interaction that changes all the time as you walk by. And when you come closer to the building, you get a peek in between the fins at the jewellery behind.”
Day, Night, and the Logic of Light
The façade behaves differently throughout the day. During daytime, the translucent glass acts to filter and scatter light from the sun, changing according to the movement of the sun and according to the movements of people walking down the street. The dense stacking of the fins produces shadow, giving the surface depth without the need for patterning or ornamentation.
Evening view of the illuminated Tiffany façade glowing in Tiffany Blue © MVRDV
The transformation during the evening hours is total. Lighting units, which have been incorporated into the custom-made brackets that hold up the glass fins, light up the store interior with Tiffany Blue® lighting, allowing the volume to radiate an even glow. The choice to incorporate the lighting system into the brackets has been intentional, minimizing the exposure of the hardware so that nothing competes with the gentle lighting effects of the glass. In effect, the resulting façade becomes one glowing plane at night.
Detail of the glass fin mounting bracket with integrated lighting © MVRDV
Interior view looking outward through the glass fins toward the street © MVRDV
Designed for Reuse
The façade was always meant to be disassembled when the time came for it to be replaced. The glass fins and the mounting brackets are removable, meaning that they can be taken down without damaging any of the parts or even the structure behind them. This makes the glass fins recyclable, ensuring that their lifespan extends beyond one installation cycle.
The Tiffany Façade Beijing was completed in 2025 and is the fifth design in MVRDV’s ongoing façade series for Tiffany & Co. It was designed by MVRDV in collaboration with co-architect AT ZERO DESIGN LIMITED, with construction by Permasteelisa Gartner Hong Kong Limited and lighting by Cooley Monato Studio.
Architect: MVRDV
Founding Partner in Charge: Jacob van Rijs
Head of Interior: Aser Gimenez Ortega
Design Team: Concept Design: Simone Costa, Türker Naci Şaylan, Monica Di Salvo, Natalia Lipczuk Schematic Design: Türker Naci Şaylan, Monica Di Salvo, Sanel Beciri Definitive Design: Türker Naci Şaylan, Monica Di Salvo, Sanel Beciri, Sofia Mermigka-Angeli
Business Development: Sruti Thakrar
Copyright: MVRDV — Winy Maas, Jacob van Rijs, Nathalie de Vries
Collaborators: Co-Architect: AT ZERO DESIGN LIMITED Contractor: Permasteelisa Gartner Hong Kong Limited Lighting: Cooley Monato Studio
Photography: © Tiffany & Co.