Portview added another jewel to Wartski’s crown with the completion of its prestigious new showroom for the royal warranted jeweller on St James’s Street, London.
From high-street to high-end, Portview specialises in creating beautiful retail environments that promise to delight and beguile retailers and shoppers alike.
Designed by Waldo Works, the stunning new boutique is a treasure trove of precious objects, with works by Carl Faberge, 19th century French jewellery, Roman glass and Lalique.
With design and artisanship at its core, Wartski’s showroom perfectly complements the jeweller’s repertoire of antique and modern showpieces, with a plethora of intricate details and finishes that promise to delight and beguile.
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The timeless interior provides an architectural narrative of the Wartski story, where materials and fixtures have been carefully selected to pay homage to the brand’s Welsh origins. The walls are clad in ribbed concrete containing jesmonite and slate from the Cwt-y-Bugail quarries of North Wales, providing a glint of sparkle when light hits.
Drawing from Wartski’s association with preeminent architect Sir Denys Lasdun (who designed the jeweller’s store on Regent Street), the St James’s Street showroom boasts a stunning arrangement of geometric lines and structures which sensitively hark back to Wartski’s brutalist roots, whilst nodding towards the finely cut diamonds displayed inside the showcases.
The space has been divided into three main areas: the front gallery and the arcade gallery, united by a three-dimensional ceiling lattice that gives a sense of flow and harmony; and a velvet lined, octagonal private sales room, where a portrait of Wartski’s former patron, Queen Alexandra, takes pride of place.
The main gallery houses five showcases containing works by Carl Fabergé on the left, while a jewellery counter and two cases housing silver and enamelled works of art are located on the right. Wartski theatrically creates moments of surprise and spectacle, when wall mirrors slide open to reveal secret wall panels displaying further wonders inside.
In addition to the main sales area, Portview also managed the fit-out of the basement floor, which leads to a number of staff offices and features two-toned marmoleum flooring that has been cut into a geometric, diamond pattern.
Wartski is one of the latest additions to Portview’s illustrious portfolio of high-end jewellery brands, with clients such as Tiffany & Co, Graff Diamonds, Vashi Diamonds, Boucheron and Van Cleef & Arpels.
“In such a complex project as this, coordination was key. Portview really made this happen. With so many different skills, so many different firms and so many different people, you really needed a company who would embrace all of this and make it gel. Portview have done just that. They have succeeded in achieving our vision and I don’t think there’s a bigger compliment you can give to anybody than that. They understood it and they did it.”
