Rene Gonzalez Architect

Miami

The new Palm Court building in Miami's Design District is a jeweler's row, concentrating luxury brands like A. Lange & Söhne, Jaeger-LeCoultre, and Piaget in a line. While these shops mark their entrances to the Sou Fujimoto–designed building with logos and thresholds, the adjacent jewelry boutique, Alchemist, takes a different tack. Local architect Rene Gonzalez framed an expanse of rose-gold-colored mirrors with bands of clear glass, requiring shoppers to look twice for the front door and storefront display case. The mysterious composition is also a metaphor for Alchemist's stock-in-trade: nestled between the glass fins running up Palm Court's exterior, the facade resembles a gemstone, set within a shimmering crystal halo.