In a New York minute: Cartier’s Fifth Avenue store reopens as a grand maison
With its storied, 100-year history and iconic visage, Cartier’s Fifth Avenue boutique in New York, known simply as the Mansion, reopens this week after a two and a half year renovation. Redesigned to mimic the feeling of stepping into a grand residence, the new four-floor space is an elegant patchwork of private salons and public spaces that showcase Cartier’s collections of jewellery, accessories, timepieces and objects in all their glory.
At quadruple the size of its previous iteration, the new Cartier Mansion features a slew of individualised decorative touches throughout its expanse. From special window treatments to fabric and leather upholstery for the walls, and a variety of furniture on parade, architect Thierry Despont has merged 35 different design styles to create the boutique’s rich interior. The space also features 30 chandeliers, reproductions of the originals placed by Pierre Cartier in the building, along with preserved cerused oak paneling from the original space, and 110 antiques acquired especially by Cartier’s heritage department and Despont together.
‘The Cartier Mansion is an icon,’ says Despont. ‘I wanted to give people the feeling of being in the grand house that it once was and to restore it to its full glory. I don’t think there is any other store like it in the world.’
The boutique can be accessed at two thresholds – the original entrance off Fifth Avenue, complete with a reconstruction of its historical glass vestibule, or via a more private entrance on 52nd Street that leads clients directly to a concierge desk and the boutique’s dramatic, classical staircase. A private mezzanine provides a suitable space to peruse the house’s high jewellery creations, while an ornate lacquer panel featuring Cartier’s signature crimson hue and a trio of gilded, gold leaf leopards serves as a glamorous focal point that can be enjoyed by all.
On the second floor, the space is divided into two: a champagne-coloured, oval room named for the Princess Grace of Monaco that aptly displays Cartier’s extensive engagement ring collection, and the more seductive Elizabeth Taylor room, which showcases the more opulent and colourful high jewellery creations. In both, private photographs of the actresses, pieces especially commissioned for them and other memorabilia bring the legendary history of Cartier to life.
The third floor, dedicated to men’s and women’s timepieces, offers a change of pace with red leather armchairs and molded oak finishes. Similarly, the fourth floor complements Cartier’s leather, accessory and fragrance collections with red leather walls and ceilings that reference the house’s recognisable jewellery boxes, while bestowing a carefree and contemporary feel.
The comprehensive refresh of the landmarked building, which comes a century after its original opening in 1917, not only brings back Cartier’s illustrious history to the fore, but ensures that its legacy will thrive and live on in the years to come
INFORMATION
For more information, visit the Cartier website
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Pei-Ru Keh is a former US Editor at Wallpaper*. Born and raised in Singapore, she has been a New Yorker since 2013. Pei-Ru held various titles at Wallpaper* between 2007 and 2023. She reports on design, tech, art, architecture, fashion, beauty and lifestyle happenings in the United States, both in print and digitally. Pei-Ru took a key role in championing diversity and representation within Wallpaper's content pillars, actively seeking out stories that reflect a wide range of perspectives. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two children, and is currently learning how to drive.
-
Discothèque perfumes evoke the scent of Tokyo in the year 2000
As Discothèque gets ready to launch its first perfume collection, Mary Cleary catches up with the brand’s founders
By Mary Cleary Published
-
This unassuming London house is a radical rethinking of the suburban home
Station Lodge by architect Andrei Saltykov in South West London offers a radical subversion to regional residential architecture
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Explore 100 years of Svenskt Tenn and the interiors Estrid Ericson has crafted
‘A Philosophy of Home’ explores 100 years of Svenskt Tenn and the daring vision for interiors its founder Estrid Ericson developed
By Diana Budds Published
-
Cartier celebrates the art of craft in Venice
Cartier has created a unique piece for Homo Faber 2022 that is at once jewellery and objet d’art
By Hannah Silver Last updated
-
Cartier high jewellery watches encompass playful design codes
The Indomptables de Cartier watch collection draws on Cartier’s history of incorporating animals into iconic designs
By Hannah Silver Last updated
-
Make a statement with these high jewellery brooches
In honour of Madeleine Albright (1937 – 2022), who as US secretary of state frequently communicated her diplomatic intentions through a vast collection of brooches, we revisit an exquisite array of high jewellery pieces, first featured in Wallpaper’s October 2016 issue
By Caragh McKay Last updated
-
Cartier wins Best Glove Affair: Wallpaper* Design Awards 2022
The Cartier Clash [Un]Limited mitten watch, by Cartier, is crafted from supple rose gold mesh and set with nearly 1,600 diamonds
By Hannah Silver Last updated
-
Watches for men nod to sporty design codes
You’ll see why we’re big on these sporty watches for men
By Hannah Silver Last updated
-
The American Museum of Natural History celebrates animal jewellery
A new exhibition, Beautiful Creatures, marks the opening of the new Allison and Roberto Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals
By Hannah Silver Last updated
-
Cartier’s new watch pays tribute to the original 1920s bell-shaped design
The Cartier Privé Cloche de Cartier has been unveiled as one of Cartier’s key watch launches of the year
By Hannah Silver Last updated
-
Cartier pays homage to its most iconic designs
The Cartier Santos, Tank, Trinity, Love, Juste Un Clou, Panthère and Ballon Bleu jewellery and watch collections have been brought together for the first time
By Hannah Silver Last updated