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With its shimmering white outer skin, this flagship store of the Canadian fashion chain Ports 1961 in Shanghai is visible from a greater distance. The four-storey building is situated in the district of Jing’an in the city centre. Its rear face adjoins the structure at the back, while its broad angled front overlooks a busy road junction. The luxury fashion outlet already existed in this location previously, but plans were drawn up to give it a new and more striking outward appearance – experimental, yet timelessly classical.

The design by the architects Eiri Ota and Irene Gardpoit was based on the image of an abstract block of ice. By day, the building has a 4 cool appearance that has a calming effect on the hectic surroundings. At night, it becomes a radiant volume. Consisting of approximately 9,000 satin-finish glass blocks, the homogeneous, translucent outer skin exercises a fascination of its own, which lies in its three- dimensional design. Along the entrance front, the blocks are turned by 45° to create a sensitive zigzagging relief pattern that is stepped back row by row around the actual entrance.