the third bulgari flagship facade by mvrdv
MVRDV completes a luminous facade for the bulgari flagship in shanghai as a celebration of circular design strategies. the glass panels are fabricated with recycled champagne bottles and encased within an art deco brass frame. the project takes influence from a variety of influences and precedents including motifs from the original bulgari store in rome, along with the rich history of art deco which shaped much of shanghai. the recycled green glass suggests a jade-like quality, an homage to the heritage of the chinese city.
watch MVRDV’s process of recycling the glass bottles to fabricate the glimmering facade in the video above.
gold-colored brass trim heightens the jewelry-like effect of the facade
images © bulgari | @bulgari
the art deco motifs which connect bulgari and shanghai
located in shanghai plaza 66, the bulgari flagship facade marks the third of an ongoing partnership between MVRDV (see more here) and the luxury italian jewelry brand. like the previous designs, the shanghai project makes use of a visual motif inspired by the portals and cornices of bulgari’s first original boutique on rome’s via dei condotti, adopting the recognizable visual identity that now defines its stores worldwide.
in a twist on its previous designs, MVRDV applies this motif beyond the framing of windows — the shanghai façade is mostly windowless. instead, the cornice motif is translated into layered panels that form an art deco-inspired pattern. art deco is a theme that shanghai and bulgari have in common. the chinese city’s status as a key port connecting east and west in the early 20th century led to a rich tradition in this architectural style, while bulgari’s déco collection characterized its jewelry in the same period.
at night, a back light illuminates the panels, highlighting the unique textural quality of the glass
reference to precious jade
to close this circle of inspiration, the façade takes on the materiality of fine jewelry with panels that resemble china’s most precious stone, jade. the result is a complex design, with layer upon layer of cross-cultural references — art deco architecture with a jewelry-like quality, combining the best of eastern and western culture. the gold-colored brass trim gives the facade an appearance like jade jewelry.
the façade employs the same art deco-inspired cornice motif used across MVRDV’s designs for bulgari
the fabrication process
MVRDV fabricated the panels of the bulgari shanghai facade from compressed green glass, a unique material effect that creates a translucent finish. at night, a backlight behind the panels gives the façade a stunning glow, highlighting the unique textural quality of the glass. the glass is completely recycled, produced at the magna factory in teutschenthal, germany, which specialises in glass treatment.
the project demonstrates the potential of sustainable recycled materials, even in luxury contexts, and takes one step towards MVRDV and bulgari’s goal of store designs that are built using 100% circular economy materials. meanwhile the backlight is engineered to minimize the facade’s energy footprint, using less than half the energy of a typical comparable installation.
the facade takes on the materiality of fine jewelry with panels that echo china’s most precious stone, jade
detail of the compressed green glass and its translucent finish
project info:
project title: bulgari shanghai flagship
architecture: MVRDV | @mvrdv
location: shanghai plaza 66, china
client: bulgari | @bulgari
completion: december 2021
photography: © bulgari
