Louis Vuitton in Nagoya by Nagaishi Architecture
Japan, is praise the facade, a design by Nagaishi Architecture. Made of twisted, powder-coated aluminum bars arranged vertically between glass walls, this shimmering envelope shifts optically during daylight hours as well as after dark, when it’s illuminated by metal halides.
Carlson says he saw the building’s exterior as a reference to the Japanese art of gift wrapping, with Vuitton’s contemporary yet classic leather goods, shoes, and men’s and women’s ready-to-wear as the gifts “inside this precious box.”
On all three levels, ceilings are magical upside-down fields of Vuitton’s signature four-petal flowers, extruded in aluminum. Each curved stem is capped in polished stainless steel or brass or simply powder-coated white. Scattered among them, spotlights shine like stars.
The mezzanine’s teak floor and anigré paneling, display fixtures, and furniture create a warm oasis between the spare upper and lower levels. By contrast, the level below is suitably masculine, thanks to striped rugs and a limestone floor with rectangular sandstone insets. The top level, almost virginally white, is about female perfection.
April 28, 2008 - Category: Architecture - Posted by: Chantal - Comments: 0