Chanel crystal houses amsterdam boutique MVRDV

Chanel crystal houses amsterdam boutique MVRDV

Those who live in glass houses should not throw stones, but the only thing you’ll see people heaping inside Chanel’s new Crystal Houses Amsterdam boutique are praises for its design.

Chanel crystal houses amsterdam boutique MVRDV

Conceptualised by Rotterdam design studio MVRDV, the vision behind this project was to find a way to retain Amsterdam’s iconic Pleiter façade style while still catering to the see-through look commonly adopted by modern storefronts.

 

Chanel crystal houses amsterdam boutique MVRDV

In order to achieve this, the team spent a year in the lab formulating a way to produce glass bricks that are stronger than concrete, and can be held together using transparent high-strength glue.

 

Chanel crystal houses amsterdam boutique MVRDV

As the glass bricks are piled upwards from the foundation, they merge slowly with the original brickwork to create the illusion of a gradually disappearing façade. According to the architects, this solution towards conserving iconic architecture prevents historical sites from being replaced by lifeless glass-and-steel buildings.

 

Chanel crystal houses amsterdam boutique MVRDV

High-tech lasers, lab grade UV-lamps and even milk, were used by Venetian glass artisans in the fabrication of the glass bricks. German firm Delo Industrial Adhesives provided the high-strength glue needed to bring the elements together. The result is a stunning crystal-clear building that seems to be build out of ice or glass.

 

Prior to the Crystal houses Amsterdam project, MVRDV also experiemnted with various glass structures, such as a pyramid-shaped library and a glass barn.  

 

 

Photography is by Daria Scagliola and Stijn Brakkee.