In the course of a multi-year renovation, Louis Vuitton has transformed its front facade along East 57th Street and Fifth Avenue into a dramatic facade that is very much a stack of the brand’s iconic luggage trunks. This innovative design, as conceived in the Louis Vuitton in-house team, speaks to the luxury brand’s historic legacy while presenting a six-step stack of grey trunks of varying sizes. The design of the façade is a reference to the signature Trianon Grey canvas by Louis Vuitton, a 19th-century fabric, with the careful details in the handles, locks, rivets, and other hardware that are rendered in chrome-plated laser-cut steel.
While it’s undeniably striking visually, the detail is also a technical marvel itself-with actual Louis Vuitton hard-sided trunks 3D scanned to produce entirely exact recreations of the brand’s trademarked locking mechanisms and clasps. It’s cladded in 840 rivets bearing the brand name, which only adds to the lines that have defined Louis Vuitton as the craftsmanship par excellence. To maximize the dramatic effect, there are LED strips running along the perimeter of each trunk, whilst bands of black and brown represent the leather lining which is traditionally associated with the designs by the brand.
During the renovation, Louis Vuitton has relocated its operations to a temporary space at 6 East 57th Street, just around the corner. This new location showcases the brand’s first U.S. cafe, as well as dedicated floors for men’s and women’s wear, a chocolate shop, and distinctive sculptures designed by OMA partner Shohei Shigematsu. The four towering sculptures in the atrium, inspired by Louis Vuitton trunks, rise 16 meters and are constructed using the brand’s signature materials, such as Monogram canvas and Damier.
With a design ethos centered around “circular creativity,” the temporary store also features furniture pieces from the flagship, alongside new works by renowned designers such as Carlo Mollino and Charlotte Perriand. The flagship renovation, expected to potentially double the store’s size, is slated for completion in the near future, while the temporary location will continue to serve customers in the interim.
