Translucent curving glass fins, demountable

Editor note

Vertical translucent glass fins with subtly curved edges, wrapping the full four-storey height of Tiffany Sanlitun Beijing. Each fin is recycled and locally manufactured — MVRDV is specific on both points. The fins carry a natural blue tone independent of any applied finish; colour intensifies as light passes through multiple layers. What makes this material entry distinctive is the engineering: the façade is designed to be demountable, with glass fins and mounting brackets removable without damage, enabling reuse or recycling at end-of-life. In luxury retail — where the economic incentive has historically pulled toward single-use envelope systems — a four-storey translucent glass envelope designed as a kit of parts is precedent. Permasteelisa Gartner is the global specialist for bespoke curtain walls (Apple flagships, BIG and Foster projects); the Hong Kong office runs the Retail Centre of Excellence that delivered Tiffany Sanlitun. Lighting is integrated directly into custom mounting brackets rather than applied; at night the façade reads as a Tiffany Blue lantern.

Specification notes

• 1,000 m² envelope, 20m height, four-storey wrap
• Recycled glass, locally manufactured
• Demountable engineering — key material argument
• Integrated bracket-mounted lighting (Cooley Monato Studio)
• Design inspiration: Elsa Peretti’s Bone Cuff bracelet