![62163-chanel-glass-store-1-1 Chanel crystal houses amsterdam boutique MVRDV](https://sonadecor.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/62163-chanel-glass-store-1-1.jpg)
Those who live in glass houses should not throw stones, but the only thing you’ll see people heaping inside Chanel’s new Crystal Houses Amsterdam boutique are praises for its design.
![62164-chanel-glass-store-2 Chanel crystal houses amsterdam boutique MVRDV](https://sonadecor.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/62164-chanel-glass-store-2.jpg)
Conceptualised by Rotterdam design studio MVRDV, the vision behind this project was to find a way to retain Amsterdam’s iconic Pleiter façade style while still catering to the see-through look commonly adopted by modern storefronts.
![62165-chanel-glass-store-3 Chanel crystal houses amsterdam boutique MVRDV](https://sonadecor.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/62165-chanel-glass-store-3.jpg)
In order to achieve this, the team spent a year in the lab formulating a way to produce glass bricks that are stronger than concrete, and can be held together using transparent high-strength glue.
![62166-chanel-glass-store-4 Chanel crystal houses amsterdam boutique MVRDV](https://sonadecor.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/62166-chanel-glass-store-4.jpg)
As the glass bricks are piled upwards from the foundation, they merge slowly with the original brickwork to create the illusion of a gradually disappearing façade. According to the architects, this solution towards conserving iconic architecture prevents historical sites from being replaced by lifeless glass-and-steel buildings.
![62167-chanel-glass-store-5 Chanel crystal houses amsterdam boutique MVRDV](https://sonadecor.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/62167-chanel-glass-store-5.jpg)
High-tech lasers, lab grade UV-lamps and even milk, were used by Venetian glass artisans in the fabrication of the glass bricks. German firm Delo Industrial Adhesives provided the high-strength glue needed to bring the elements together. The result is a stunning crystal-clear building that seems to be build out of ice or glass.
Prior to the Crystal houses Amsterdam project, MVRDV also experiemnted with various glass structures, such as a pyramid-shaped library and a glass barn.
Photography is by Daria Scagliola and Stijn Brakkee.