Press
Gersthofen, April 28, 2023. The building located on the corner of Fifth Avenue and 57th Street was built in 1940 and has since become the most famous flagship store of Tiffany & Co. For the first time since its opening, the retail space of the luxury jeweller, now known as “The Landmark”, has undergone extensive renovations. This included a VIP showroom designed by the architectural offices OMA and CallisonRTKL on the rooftop's top three floors. seele was responsible for the design, production, and installation of the building envelope of the expansion project. The installation in the heart of Manhattan was particularly challenging in its planning and exciting in its execution.
A curtain made of glass overlooking Central Park
The highlight of the store is the unitised façade on the 10th floor. The architects designed a glass box with the appearance of a curved curtain, created by wavy glass units. The 500sqm glass façade with a height of approx. 8.8m consists of 69 corrugated, hot-bent glass panes, stretching along the north and west sides. The reflections on the glass shine and sparkle in the sunlight, much like a precious jewel, and provide privacy in the interior due to the mirror effect.
Logistics and installation in the heart of Manhattan
Due to the unusual glass geometry and the limited space in the midst of New York City, seele chose a high degree of prefabrication for implementation. seele was able to precisely prefabricate and preassemble the components at its production site in Gersthofen, enabling quick and easy installation on site. Moreover, to ensure smooth operation of the construction site in New York, a mock-up of the installation of one of the units was performed at the test centre in Gersthofen. This involved the use of an especially developed suction cup device, precisely tailored to the limited space in New York. Due to the dimensions of the façade elements, on-site installation could only take place on weekends and by adhering to strict ordinances. With a special crane, the 2.7t elements were lifted to a height of approx. 40 meters.
By participating in the redesign of the Tiffany & Co. Flagship Store “The Landmark”, seele has completed its ninth project already on famous Fifth Avenue in New York.