On Friday, April 28, the Tiffany & Co. flagship store reopened its doors to the public at 727 Fifth Avenue after a four-year renovation and structural expansion project in Midtown, Manhattan. Designed by OMA partners Shohei Shigematsu and Jake Forster with interiors by Peter Marino Architects, the undertaking involved the construction of a new three-story volume above the parapet of the 83-year-old building and the gut renovation of 8,400 square feet of its interiors. Now rebranded as “The Landmark,” the commercial property’s modernization was reportedly the largest single-store investment to date by Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE (LVMH), the company’s owner and majority stakeholder. CallisonRTKL was the architect of record, WSP was the structural and MEP engineer, and Structure Tone was the general contractor for the property, which is located at the corner of Fifth Avenue and East 57th Street along Billionaires’ Row.
All of the scaffolding and construction equipment was removed from the site since our last update in March, revealing the finished look of the restored ground-floor retail frontage. Most notably, the clock face above the statue of Atlas was reinstalled above the front doors and canopy facing Fifth Avenue.
Photo by Michael Young
Photo by Michael Young
Photo by Michael Young
Photo by Michael Young
Photo by Michael Young
Photo by Michael Young
Photo by Michael Young
Photo by Michael Young
Photo by Michael Young
Photo by Michael Young
Photo by Michael Young
Photo by Michael Young
Photo by Michael Young
Photo by Michael Young
Photo by Michael Young
To the right of the revolving main door is a display titled “Opening Credits” featuring a screen showing the iconic Breakfast at Tiffany’s scene where Audrey Hepburn’s character, Holly Golightly, gazes upon the store from the exact location. Inside the display are a few pieces of jewelry and a mini chandelier, and “Moon River” by Harry Mancini is played over outdoor speakers directly above.
Photo by Michael Young
Photo by Michael Young
Photo by Michael Young
The second window display, called “Shattering Conventions,” features a diamond-studded necklace placed over a sphere surrounded by shattered glass. The conceptual art piece serves as a tribute to a 1980 window display created by Tiffany & Co.’s window director Gene Moore.
Photo by Michael Young
The ground floor spans over 10,700 square feet with ceiling heights greater than 24 feet. On display are numerous glass jewelry cases showcasing a sampling of the upgraded flagship store’s retail offerings. Tall, arched windows line the northern and southern walls, each with LED screens with views of the Empire State Building and One World Trade Center, and the skyline of Billionaires’ Row from Central Park. Reflective mirrors are used on the outer ends of the ceiling to create the illusion of an even taller space.
Photo by Michael Young
In the middle is a large X-shaped light fixture made from reflective glass.
Photo by Michael Young
Photo by Michael Young
At the back of the first floor is the elevator vestibule, which is flanked by two window displays. One contains the 287.42-carat yellow Tiffany Diamond, while the other has the Medusa Pendant created by the 186-year-old company’s founder, Louis Comfort Tiffany.
The Tiffany Diamond. Photo by Michael Young
The Medusa Pendant. Photo by Michael Young
Above the elevator doors is a piece by Jean Michel Basquiat titled “Equals Pi.” This is just one of the nearly 40 artworks, both commissioned and purchased, scattered throughout the store. Above it is a large-scale clock.
Photo by Michael Young
Photo by Michael Young
Elevators take visitors to the third floor, which is the bottom level of the Elsa Peretti-inspired winding spiral staircase connecting floors three through eight. Level three, named “All About Love,” and level four, “Gold & Diamond Icons,” are each filled with some of the company’s best products and are paired with a disk-shaped stainless steel sculpture by Anish Kapoor and a ceiling-mounted fixture by Rashid Johnson.
Level three. Photo by Michael Young
Artwork by Anish Kapoor (left) and Rashid Johnson (right). Photo by Michael Young
A giant sculpture, called “Eroded Venus,” was created by Daniel Arsham and sits beneath the sparing atrium of the staircase.
Looking up the main staircase. Photo by Michael Young
Level four. Photo by Michael Young
The back wall of the fourth floor has a backlit elliptical cutout created by James Turell with the signature Tiffany blue hue.
Level four. Photo by Michael Young
Level five houses pages from the Breakfast at Tiffany’s manuscript, as well as the famous black dress and jewelry Audrey Hepburn wore in the film.
Level five. Photo by Michael Young
Photo by Michael Young
The Blue Box Café by Daniel Boulud is a French American restaurant on level six with 61 seats, adorned with hundreds of Tiffany boxes dangling from the ceiling. Diners can enjoy an all-day seasonally inspired menu, including breakfast and tea, as well as a a private dining area and bar.
Photo by Michael Young
Floor six is also dedicated to Tiffany & Co.’s home and accessories, where several tables, chairs, and dining sets are laid out across the space.
Level six. Photo by Michael Young
The seventh floor is home to watches, more jewelry, and a workshop space.
Level seven. Photo by Michael Young
Levels eight and nine, called the Tiffany Gallery, house museum and exhibition spaces, while the Tiffany Private Club is located on the tenth and final floor, featuring a kitchen and an outdoor terrace providing views of Central Park. This space is available for client events and private appointments. The terrace is also home to a nearly 3-foot-tall, 800-pound bronze apple sculpture by the late Claude Lalanne, called “Pomme de New York.”
The nearest subways are the N, R, and W trains at the 5th Avenue-59th Street station to the north, the F train at the the 57th Street station to the west along Sixth Avenue, the 4, 5, and 6 trains at the Lexington Avenue-59th Street station, and the E and M trains at the 5th Avenue-53rd Street station.
Current operating hours are Monday to Saturday from 10:00am to 6:00pm and Sundays from 12:00pm to 5:00pm.
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WOW…
It’s a complete transformation from my first visit to NYC! The whole store glows with lighting, art and modern upgrades.
Will have to add to my list of must sees on next visit! 🤗💍
Huge improvement. And it looks like they finally power washed the outside.
This really is a fantastic addition and renovation to the Tiffany & Co Building. The whole building looks absolutely gorgeous.
Looks like they did a good job with the mix of old and new.
Have to say I disagree, many of the design choices seem in very bad taste. The LED fake windows? Cmon this is Tiffany we shouldn’t be faking anything will look so cheap in 5 years.
All in all, the renovation is quite stunning and the cost must have been crazy. But yes, those LED screen “windows” will get tired very fast, and it does seem more like a tourist attraction than actually showcasing the merchandise.
S-T-U-N-N-I-N-G! Peter Marino is a creative genius and his designs are never boring.
S-T-U-N-N-I-N-G! Designer Peter Marino is a creative genius and his projects are never boring.
I work security atRockerfeller Center store so I guess Landmark is the hot spot now.Can’t wait to visit it soon
With all the money spent here, you would think they could invest in some bollards. The blue concrete blocks really detracts to the street appeal of the building.
Truer words have never been sarcastically spoken.
I actually agree with Cheesmaster, it would be less cumbersome to walk around those giant blocks and look more aesthetically pleasing and cleaner to have bollards instead
I’ve never been to Tiffany in my entire 75 year NYC life,even though I worked down the ‘street’ at Simon & Schuster..intimidated I guess.