Italian jewelry brand Bulgari has opened its biggest European travel retail store to date at the new Istanbul Airport, in partnership with Gebr Heinemann. The 115sqm store was described by the LVMH-owned brand as a Roman temple in the heart of Istanbul Airport.

The trinity collaboration between Heinemann, ATÜ Duty Free and Bulgari has been crafted like an exquisite jewel, said the brand, using the most sophisticated materials and highest craftsmanship, in keeping with architect Peter Marino’s Rome flagship design materials of marble, Murano glass and silk.

This latest airport boutique design follows on from the jewellery brand’s boutique opening at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport earlier this year in March.

A company spokesperson told DFNI, the new Istanbul store opening represents a significant milestone for the jewelry brand as it expands its airport retail footprint in Europe following its Paris and Zurich mono-brand stores. The new Istanbul location is the brand’s first airport store to feature a VIP private salon area for high-spending clients that are often frequent fliers, said the spokesperson.

The Istanbul store opening places Bulgari next door to other luxury brands such as Hermes, Louis Vuitton, Dior, Gucci and Ferragamo and allows the brand to focus on its “most luxurious” merchandise selection across its jewelry & watches and leather-goods offer in-store.

Bulgari stated: “The interplay between old and new marks the special affinity between Peter Marino and Bulgari, and defines the bold character of this store: it is a sapient blend of ancient and contemporary, a play of ambiguities between structural elements and decoration, a true journey back into the brand’s 130-year-long history.

“On the walls, the so-called Condotti showcases are a clear reference to the ones still present in the Condotti flagship store in Rome: adorned with Imperial Saffron shantung silk, the fabric
plays with light to warm the atmosphere and the ambiance, reproducing the warm effect of the Eternal City kissed by the sun.”