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all photos by Daici Ano courtesy Louis Vuitton
For the past 3 years, Louis Vuitton’s oldest outlet in Japan — their Ginza Namiki-Dori store that originally opened in 1981 — has been under construction. But the screens have now come down, revealing a shimmering new facade that resembles a pillar of water that beautifully reflects the light and surrounding environment.
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The newly renovated Ginza Namiki-dori shop, which opens on March 20, 2021, was designed by the same pair who designed the luxury retailer’s Osaka shop that opened last year: Japanese architect Jun Aoki, who designed the facade, and NY-based interior designer Peter Marino, who designed the interiors.
Jun Aoki used a doubly-ply glass structure that gently undulates, creating the effect of a shimmering pillar of water. The glass is also treated with dichroic film, which reflects some colors while allowing others to pass through. It’s a stunningly beautiful structure that changes colors depending on the lighting. And the water theme even carries inside with hints of sea life and water scattered throughout the store.
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March 21, 2021 at 10:34 pm
Looks like a bird death machine.
March 24, 2021 at 4:27 pm
Why? It’s not transparent, birds should see it.
Why is this the criticism of any building with glass? Such an immediate one-line, unthoughtful response.