Swaying coral in the water, Louis Vuitton "Tun" makes its home

Views:30 Author:Site Editor Publish Time:2026-01-13 15:42:03 Orgin:Site

share

Japanese architect Jun Aoki designed the Louis Vuitton Foundation in Beijing's Sanlitun, a four-story building with a sleek exterior clad in polarized glass curtain walls. The design draws inspiration from Nicolas Ghesquière's 2016 Spring/Summer finale dress from the Louis Vuitton women's ready-to-wear collection. The poetic interplay between the building's facade and the dress is reflected in their shared form, light manipulation, and dynamic movement.

© Louis Vuitton

R1: "Taihu Lake" must be translated as the Taihu Lake.  Additionally, the building facade incorporates the imagery of Taihu stone. This type of stone, commonly found in traditional Chinese gardens, features fluid forms and porous surfaces, sculpted by natural erosion and regarded as a microcosm of Zen artistic beauty. The design team adhered to the literati stone tradition, which traditionally pursues four characteristics: "slenderness, porosity, translucency, and crumpling." The final facade consists of two layers: the inner layer provides thermal insulation, while the outer layer is a curtain wall composed of 315 manually curved glass panels, resembling a delicate layer of lace gently draped over the structure. By utilizing polarized mirrors, the building's surface shifts colors in response to the movement of sunlight and seasonal changes, functioning like a "kaleidoscope" reflecting the surrounding environment. Computer technology enables the design team to "freely manipulate" three-dimensional curves and organic forms, achieving a level of complexity unprecedented in previous designs. Through deliberate optimization, the design team transformed intricate forms into modular assemblies composed of several standardized three-dimensional curved components.

© Louis Vuitton

© Louis Vuitton

In the store, Louis Vuitton's full range of products is distributed across four floors, including men's and women's leather goods, ready to wear clothing, jewelry, and home furnishings. In addition, there are four private lounges exclusively for VIP customers in the store.

© Louis Vuitton

The first Louis Vuitton caf é in Beijing is located on the top floor. The caf é was designed by an internal team of Louis Vuitton in collaboration with Astet Studio in Barcelona. Its interior features smooth lines and soft contours, echoing the exterior facade designed by Jun Aoki.

© Louis Vuitton

© Louis Vuitton

Here, guests first see an 'infinite room', a mirrored hall filled with books that embody the brand's themes of travel, culture, and exploration. The spacious terrace features a rooftop bar, open to the city and sheltered by the building facade. The design inspiration for the bar counter cabinet comes from the opening method of Louis Vuitton's classic travel suitcase. A mirrored door leads to a private VIP room that can accommodate eight guests.

© Louis Vuitton