Louis Vuitton Flagship Store By UNstudio (L O L)

by **J The Kidd** Wed Aug 13, 2008 3:45 am

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A new project by Dutch architects UNStudio: these images show a
proposed flashship store for fashion house Louis Vuitton in Japan.

The location and construction schedule of the ten-storey building are secret for now.

The design for the 10 storey (54 meter tall) flagship Louis Vuitton
store in Japan aims to establish an architectural equivalent of the
identity of Louis Vuitton in which classical and modern qualities are
blended, reinforcing each other. The design inspires the visitor with a
feeling of being in the House of Louis Vuitton by celebrating the
qualities that make up the essence of the company, its products, its
history and its future.

The elements that represent the classical values connected to the Louis
Vuitton brand are implicitly present throughout the design. These
elements are to a large extent identical to the modernity also implicit
in the name Louis Vuitton, along with the value of inventiveness. The
element that moves through all the scale levels of the design is the
leaf shape. The leaf is found in the floor plan, in the section and in
the elevation. It has been applied to the construction also, responding
to location-specific constructional demands. Leaf-shaped openings in
the façade give the building a strong identity with landmark potential,
while complying with the necessity for discreetness with respect to
visibility from the outside. The leaf shape can be seen as bearing a
connection to the famous Louis Vuitton monogram.

The building follows the structure of a (grand) house: with three
levels, each spanning a varying number of split-level floors and each
with its own atmosphere and purpose. Each floor is in principle divided
into four leaves, which are set in a spiral pattern with a height
difference between each leaf of 2.70 meters. Terrace zones, which offer
a mix of functions in a garden setting, mark the different vertical
sections of the house, with the sense of intimacy growing towards the
top of the building.