A half an inch thick glass window separates the sidewalk from the boutique. On the one side, this air-conditioned interior welcomes the affluent customers, on the other, the asphalt, from which those who are not sufficiently well-off, without paying can flatten their noses against the window. Glass is a solid liquid, a magical paradox, which links the real world outside the world of luxury inside. The displays behind it, are ideally magical, too - far more than its individual parts. A display surrounded by windows, the most efficient type of temporary staging of expensive goods, is a neglected discipline of design which plays an important role in our culture. Shop windows tell stories about ourselves and the desires that drive us.