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.
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.
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.