MVRDV completes second Bvlgari façade at flagship store in Bangkok

Fact File
Location: Thailand
Program: Retail
Client: Bvlgari
Year: 2020
Status: Realized
Images: Ketsiree Wongwan

Located in the IconSiam department store – one of the largest malls in Asia – the project is the second in a series of façades designed by MVRDV for the luxury brand. MVRDV was tasked with rethinking the façade designs for new Bvlgari stores, adding a contemporary touch to their classic image. The Italian brand has stood for glamour and creativity for more than a century, inspired by the timeless beauty of Roman art.

MVRDV completes second Bvlgari façade at flagship store in Bangkok

Taking this heritage as a starting point, MVRDV’s designs took inspiration from the portals and distinctive cornices on Bvlgari’s very first store in Rome, located on Via dei Condotti since 1905. The form of this cornice became the motif that MVRDV developed as a common thread across the Bvlgari façades, deployed in a variety of combinations that allowed MVRDV to experiment with asymmetric patterns and innovative materials.

The cornice pattern façade is completed in brass combined with different types of glass, giving a golden effect, and creating a striking impression. The windows have varying degrees of transparency and colour, tailored to the functions behind them: at the ground floor, transparent glass creates shop windows, while on the two levels above, opaque windows are strategically placed to allow visitors to the top-floor VIP lounge their privacy. Surrounding each window, subtle lighting highlights the store’s products and the backgrounds in Bvlgari’s signature saffron colour.

MVRDV completes second Bvlgari façade at flagship store in Bangkok

Says MVRDV founding partner Jacob van Rijs, “We are working on several Bvlgari stores simultaneously, always making sure that we use high-quality materials such as natural stone, tinted glass, copper, and gold as a basis. Though all the designs will be unique to their location, each will have a distinct Bvlgari signature.”