MVRDV references bulgari’s first store in rome with brass and glass façade in Bangkok

Following the realization of a marble-veined elevation in Kuala Lumpur that opened in 2018, MVRDV has now designed a façade in Bangkok’s Iconsiam department store — one of the largest malls in Asia.

Using Bulgari’s glamorous and timeless heritage as a starting point, MVRDV’s designs take inspiration from the portals and distinctive cornices on Bulgari’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 façades, deployed in a variety of combinations that allowed MVRDV to experiment with asymmetric patterns and innovative materials.

For the Iconsiam store, an emphasis was placed on elegance with the cornice pattern façade completed in brass combined with different types of glass.

This striking golden effect draws attention from visitors ascending the mall’s escalators, which end directly in front of the store.

The windows have varying colours and degrees of transparency, 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.

‘With this design, we bring a roman zest for life to Bangkok,’ says MVRDV founding partner Jacob van Rijs. ‘we are working on several Bulgari 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 Bulgari signature.’