© Cassie Floto-Warner, courtesy OMA New York
The transformation of Tiffany & Co.’s 5th Avenue flagship is now complete. The redesign with improved infrastructure and three-story addition by OMA Partner Shohei Shigematsu and Associate Jake Forster, and interiors by Peter Marino, reimagines the historic building as a diverse retail and cultural institution.
On Friday, April 28, Tiffany & Co. opened the doors to its newly transformed flagship on 57th Street and Fifth Avenue on. The project marks the first holistic renovation of the store since its opening in 1940. Now known as “The Landmark,” invites visitors to discover the history and range of Tiffany & Co. goods in a redefined flagship environment of displays and shared experiences.
OMA’s collaboration with Tiffany & Co. began in 2018 with programming and visioning for the multi-story building. The early masterplan informed the new re-organization of the existing building’s core to create a clear elevator lobby and improved flow, and a new three-story volume atop the limestone building. The addition houses a dedicated gallery/exhibition, event, and clienteling space to accommodate the brand’s diverse range of projects and programs.
“The reopening of the iconic Fifth Avenue Landmark is a major milestone for our House. Symbolic of a new era, our reimagined flagship store is not only a cultural hub at the epicenter of New York City, it also sets a new bar for luxury retail on a global scale,” said Anthony Ledru, Chief Executive Officer, Tiffany & Co.
“The Landmark is a ten-story building dedicated entirely to a single brand, which challenged us to rethink the experience of the Tiffany & Co.’s wide range of precious jewelry as well as its diverse programs. The first floor is a beloved, timeless destination and iconic cornerstone of New York’s Fifth Avenue, and we provided an improved infrastructure to extend that identity and cosmopolitan energy up the building. Anchoring the rich vertical experience is a new gathering space that mirrors the dynamism of the ground level, recessed from the building edge to offer a wraparound terrace. An additional volume floats above the event space, wrapped in a glass “curtain” that adds a touch of softness to the harsh curtain walls of neighboring towers. The result is a translucent vitrine to signal new flagship activities—a contemporary bookend to the historic building and symbolic launch of a renewed brand,” said Shohei Shigematsu.
The first two floors of the addition are stacked into a clear box for exhibition and event. The double-height, column-free space opens to a wide terrace were one can look down Fifth Avenue to Central Park. A straight glass façade enclosure offers panoramic views of the surrounding neighborhood.
In contrast, the upper floor is encased by a slumped glass façade. The innovative façade system is a new development in glass manufacturing combining the distinct advantages of both curved and flat glass. The resulting façade simultaneously provides high transparency and privacy; structural integrity and softness; urban presence and human-scale texture.
The resulting rooftop volume extends the vertical continuity of the existing structure in form, establishing a gentle transition from the historic building to an element of newness at the top. It resolves the ideas of practicality and preciousness formally and programmatically to generate a renewed icon for the Landmark.
The Landmark core and shell renovation and new, top volume addition are designed by OMA New York, led by Partner Shohei Shigematsu and Associate Jake Forster.
