Inside the blue box – the new Tiffany & Co. flagship 

As Holly Golightly herself might exclaim:  “Quelle store!” 

No doubt the protagonist of Truman Capote”™s “Breakfast at Tiffany”™s” would be suitably impressed with the reimagined Tiffany & Co. flagship on 57th Street and Fifth Avenue, which reopened its doors Friday, April 28. Now known as “The Landmark,” the 10-floor, 110,000-square-foot space introduces the world to a Tiffany that plays with mighty opposites ”“ new and old, past and future, among them ”“ with custom artwork,  never-before-seen jewels and engaging displays, including an Audrey Hepburn room that contains a replica of the sleek Givenchy LBD (little black dress) that she wore as Holly Golightly in the opening of the 1961 film of Capote”™s wistful novella. 

The Landmark celebrates not only the 186-year-old luxury retail institution”™s first holistic renovation of the store since it opened in 1940 but the stamp of the LVMH era. (In 2021, LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton acquired Tiffany ”“ which has 300 stores worldwide, including in The Westchester in White Plains, Greenwich and Westport, and 14,000 employees ”“ for about $16 billion after seesaw negotiations in one of the biggest sales in luxury history.”¯The transformation, which reportedly cost at least $250 million, has been overseen by President and CEO Anthony Ledru, a former LVMH executive, and Executive Vice President Alexandre Arnault, a son of LVMH founding chair Bernard Arnault, the richest man in the world, whose luxe portfolio includes Bulgari, Celine, Dior, Dom Pérignon, Fendi and Sephora.) 

“The reopening of the iconic Fifth Avenue Landmark is a major milestone for our House,” Ledru said in a statement. “Symbolic of a new era for Tiffany & Co., the Landmark is much more than a jewelry store. It is a cultural hub with an exquisite showcase of architecture and superior hospitality, as well as cutting-edge art and design. It sets a new bar for luxury retail on a global scale.”  

Two major players were integral to the store”™s transformation. Architect Peter Marino reimagined the interior architecture and OMA New York, led by Shohei Shigematsu, spearheaded the renovation of the building”™s core and circulation infrastructure as well as the addition of the new three-story rooftop, replacing the office space added in 1980. Paying homage to the building”™s iconic original structure, the beloved façade, with its Atlas statue and clock above the revolving doors, was refurbished to honor its original design, while the interiors have been completely reinvented.  

On entering the new store, clients are engaged in an expansive main floor of jewelry cases illuminated by a twist on a skylight. The ceiling installation spans nearly the room”™s length and is composed of an abstraction of facets in tribute to Tiffany”™s heritage and authority as a purveyor of the world”™s finest diamonds. Integrated throughout the Landmark”™s 10 floors are nearly 40 artworks, including commissions by Damien Hirst, Julian Schnabel, Rashid Johnson, Anna Weyant and Daniel Arsham, among others. 

On the ground floor, visitors are immersed in iconic New York City scenes through video walls that project sweeping views of Central Park and the Manhattan skyline when turned on and serve as mirrors when turned off. Wood parquet flooring throughout the building evokes that of the 1940 store, while a new Tiffany clock, on ground level, echoes the original Atlas statue and clock.  

The spine of the store is a sculptural spiral staircase with undulating transparent balustrades adorned with rock crystal, reflecting the organic designs of Tiffany mainstay Elsa Peretti. The staircase connects floors 3 through 8, while elevators allow access to every floor.  

The Blue Box Café by Daniel Boulud continues to offer its iteration of a coveted dining experience with a seasonally inspired daytime menu, including breakfast and tea. (Yes, you can have breakfast at Tiffany”™s.) The redesigned space now has a private dining area and bar with art installations.  

Dedicated museum and exhibit spaces on floors 8 and 9 will offer a rotation of various concepts and storytelling experiences.  

To mark the reopening, Tiffany is also set to debut a range of exclusive designs and one-of-a-kind creations, from diamond watches and limited-edition home objects to eyewear inspired by the Tiffany Setting engagement ring. (In March, Tiffany had announced Lauren Santo Domingo as the first artistic director of the Tiffany Home Collection. The first release to be led by Santo Domingo will feature new tabletop collections, including Tiffany Berries, Tiffany T True, Tiffany Wisteria, Tiffany Toile, Tiffany Audubon and Valse Bleue.) 

Now home to the largest collection of Tiffany High Jewelry in the world, the store features perhaps the biggest wonder of them all ”“ a new design for the legendary 128.54-carat Tiffany Diamond.  

The Landmark reopens with what the store calls “a significant investment in leading environmental, health and well-being initiatives and was built to operate sustainably for years to come. The Landmark store is on track to achieve WELL Platinum certification and LEED Gold certification.” 

In other words, it”™s not just your grandmother”™s Tiffany. For more, visit tiffany.com.