REFLECTIONS OF WATER

The renovated Louis Vuitton store in Tokyo has a shimmering facade, generating images that resemble reflections of water.

Jun Aoki & Associates and Peter Marino Architect renovated the store in Tokyo’s Ginza district, occupied by Louis Vuitton since 1981. The new design interprets reflections of water as a material phenomenon: poetic yet playful, shimmering, and rhythmic.

Composed of two layers of glass, the façade offers a monolithic and seamless image. Of the seven floors, the first four are dedicated to retail. VIC and VIP salons can be found on the sixth floor, and on the uppermost level, a café and chocolatier are programmed. The outer panes curve and ripple; their three-dimensional surface enhanced by dichroic glass produce color variations. At street level, the building reflects the dynamism of the neighborhood; higher up, the adjacent towers become wavy reflections.

Photography: © Daici Ano