The luxury jeweler Van Cleef commissioned the Jouin Manku agency to design a boutique in Hong Kong, located in the Prince’s Building shopping center.

Jouin Manku engaged T/E/S/S as a subcontractor for the façade design. Above the highly transparent entrance and ground-floor display windows, the façade becomes opaque on the upper levels. This 11-meter-wide surface serves as the new iconic storefront for the store. Local urban planning regulations limited the new façade’s overhang to 300mm from the existing façade.

The architects proposed creating two façades, between which luminous Venetian glass cylinders are suspended. These Murano-made luminaires are equipped with LEDs powered via their suspension cables.

Behind the glass cylinders, the inner wall is clad with a reflective surface composed of mirror-finished stainless steel, while the front façade consists of extra-clear, low-iron glass held in place by mirror-finished cast steel fittings. The entire glass enclosure is anchored to the existing structure by a framework positioned behind the reflective surface. Maintenance is carried out by removing the glass cylinders using an integrated lifting mechanism, with access provided from the top of the building. The airflow between the two façades is regulated by the store’s mechanical ventilation system, reducing the risk of dirt accumulation and condensation on the glass.

Initially a poetic project based on the effects of refraction and reflection of glass, both by day and night, the design evolved to address more complex challenges, including structural anchoring to the existing building, spatial constraints, and long-term maintenance requirements.