Jun Aoki designed the LV building in the image of a pile
of trunks stacked at random. The trunks, each representing a unique
space, are connected with a labyrinth of corridors - offering a
small journey between trunks.
The building relates in scale to the mixed residential and commercial area of Omotesando, with the soft texture of the metal fabric on the facade conveying the texture of fallen leaves from the big zelkova trees in front of the building.
The store is an assemblage of various special "spaces"; the
basic units are not "floors" but "spaces". The shape of all
"spaces" are right-angled boxes in various scales, proportions and
natural light conditions. The total shape of the building is the
result of piling up the box-like shapes.
The exterior is double layered with three different kinds of metal mesh fabric and two kinds of polished stainless steel panels; rose and gold. Glass panels with a striped pattern, as the inner layer, give depth to the appearance.
By overlaying the silver color of the metal fabric and rose and gold tint of the back panel, the color is getting also ambiguous, and losing a sense of materiality.
The idea of using metal fabric was initially derived from the idea of "piling up trunks". I thought the surface would be covered in fabric like trunks. At the same time, because I did not want to realize them literally as enlarged trunks but as mirages, the double skin was proposed./Jun Aoki
The first five stories of the 10 story building are dedicated to the public shop space. The interior, designed by Louis Vuitton Malletier Architecture Department, uses stainless steel fabric, resembling the fabric lining inside a trunk, to match the exterior design. Some parts, including the multipurpose hall, are designed by Jun Aoki.
Facts about Louis Vuitton
Jun Aoki also designed the Vuitton shops in Ginza and Nagoya.
Last updated: February 01, 2013
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Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia