Michael Kors Shanghai Flagship | KPF - Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates

Taking cues from the polish and material richness of the Michael Kors brand, KPF’s design for the new 5,000 SF façade of the Michael Kors Shanghai Flagship at Jing An Kerry Center offers unique moments of interest at many scales. The luminosity and clean geometry of the façade make an impression at first glance, yet its pattern suggests a complex structure that cannot be easily discerned. Composed of delicate, textured, reflective pieces, as elusive as they are radiant, the vertical panels of the façade reveal new levels of complexity at every look.

The façade is intended to be a bright symbol of the brand on Nanjing Lu, Shanghai’s main shopping street. The façade pattern, texture, and material are designed and selected to maximize the shimmering reflective qualities of light both day and night. The pattern of angled shingles was specially developed to maximize light reflectivity from any angle while appearing to constantly shift and change as visitors approach the store.

In order to achieve such an intricate, non-repeating façade pattern, an inventive mathematical system of variable parts was devised so that the 60 unique panels could be assembled efficiently on site. The result is a syncopated façade whose pattern is legible, like music.

Located in the Kerry Center, a new landmark development for Shanghai’s dynamic Jing An district, the project draws upon the urban energy of its location, yet, like the city of Shanghai, it is also marvelously global: the façade and pattern of each panel was designed in by KPF in New York, composed of metal sourced in Germany, fabricated in Southern-China, and hand-assembled on site. This global approach to design is familiar to Michael Kors and Kohn Pedersen Fox, both international companies headquartered on New York City’s Bryant Park.