Written by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Paul Goldberger, Louis Vuitton has released a gorgeous volume named “Louis Vuitton Skin: The Architecture of Luxury,” which explores the façades of the brand’s storefronts. Called the “skin” in architectural parlance, the façades of Louis Vuitton’s stores are known for their distinctive designs, with no two looking the same.
See also: Karl Lagerfeld Maison Debuts Its First-Ever Furniture Collection
The book examines the most distinctive of LV’s stores, including locations such as São Paulo, Seoul, Miami and Mexico City. The brand purposefully avoids consistency and rather invests in the notion of architecture itself being the French luxury house’s identity. The Maison has commissioned many world-renowned architectures, including Frank Gehry, Jun Aoki and Peter Marino, to create buildings with bespoke exteriors that evoke powerful emotions during the visual experience, with each relating to the specificities of its individual location. Each effortlessly combines modern design with Louis Vuitton’s tradition of quality craftsmanship, resulting in façades that mirror the beloved luxury products that they house.
Each radically individualized and unlike any previous design, Louis Vuitton’s façades undercut the expectation of a luxury fashion house standardizing their physical presentation. Each is urbanistic, yet seamlessly melds with the surrounding landscape. The Istanbul Istinye Park location is highlighted in particular for its façade which resembles a topographical map made from a three-dimensional printer. In contrast, Tokyo’s Namiki Dori store boasts a glass façade that references the nearby Tokyo Bay’s undulating surfaces and shifting waves.
The book is available with six different covers, with each creating a beautiful display piece for any home. Each cover features one of Louis Vuitton’s most distinctive stores around the world, the Beijing, Paris, Seoul, New York City, Tokyo and Singapore locations. Talented author Paul Goldberger is a world leader in architectural criticism, and currently serves as a contributing editor at “Vanity Fair.” “Louis Vuitton Skin: The Architecture of Luxury,” is available for purchase here.
