A hundred years of fortitude

In 1917, the wife of railroad tycoon Morton Plant exchanged her Fifth Avenue mansion in Manhattan to Pierre Cartier for a two-strand Cartier pearl necklace. In exchange for the 128 natural white pearls (reportedly valued then at US$1 million), Cartier gained the building, which became his American flagship, known simply as The Mansion. A hundred years later, The Mansion starts its second century in (several) new licks of paint following an extensive renovation.

Headed by French architect Thierry Despont, responsible for designing Bill Gates’ home, the refurbishment not only expands the space, but also recaptures its former spirit. “I wanted to give people the feeling of being in the grand house that it once was,” Despont says, aiming to create something that is unlike any other jewellery store in the world.

In hard numbers, the two storey, 20,000 square foot space has been expanded into five storeys, more than doubling the floor space to 44,000 square feet. In vibe, the updated Mansion feels more residential than retail, accessible by two entrances – on Fifth Avenue or 52nd Street. With cerused oak-panelled walls, a grand staircase and 30 reproductions of the Plant mansion’s original chandeliers, this could have easily been what Pierre Cartier walked in to see back in 1917. Well, almost. The Cartier spirit lives on in touches big and small. A lacquered panel depicting three drinking panthers (done in gold leaf) greets guests in the foyer, while all five floors pay tribute to famous names that have contributed to Cartier’s iconography, including Grace Kelly, Elizabeth Taylor and Gloria Swanson. The walls in the fourth floor’s Red Room are made from the same material as Cartier boxes, while the fifth level has a terrace that overlooks Fifth Avenue, welcoming in the Big Apple as another guest in this grand mansion.

Unifying such a vast space is never an easy task, but Despont has managed to juggle 35 different design styles that give each room a unique character with an overarching aesthetic that remains cohesive. It took a long time – two and a half years, to be exact – and the result can be justifiable called a work of art. “The Cartier Mansion is an icon,” says Despont. Rather than subvert and supplant that with modernity, Despont has chosen to highlight its old world magnificence. For a maison with such a rich history, it’s important be rooted in this as it prepares its identity for 2117.

Cartier NYC Fifth Avenue Mansion
653, Fifth Avenue
New York, NY
10022, USA
Tel: +1 212 446 3400