P.C. Hooftstraat 138

Taking cues from nearby museums for framing Dutch art, creative heritage and elegance, UNStudio’s design for "The Looking Glass" sets the stage for a unique and distinctive flagship store by reimagining the display of clothes. UNStudio's design for the facade of P.C. Hooftstraat 138 is a celebration of textiles, both in form and function; three curved glass panels flow down from the upper floors in a design that mimics billowing transparent cloth. This play with glass creates opening spaces on a pedestrian eye-level that unveil the latest designs. In a fluid gesture, fashion and architecture come together to represent and celebrate the craftsmanship and geometry of high-end, tailored clothing, creating harmony between aesthetics and function. All this, while keeping true to the original design of the three-windowed vertical division of an Amsterdam town house, where on the upper floors above the retail section, a bespoke apartment design will carry high-end architecture through the entire building.