The growth of the Chinese luxury market may have slowed in recent years, and quite dramatically so, but that doesn’t deter brand operating in the upper echelon to continue making retail statements. As of late, Louis Vuitton boasts a new flagship store at Taikoo Li Sanlitun, the preferred shopping grounds for Beijing‘s discerning gilded youth and also other well-to-do demographics. Occupying no less than four floors of a standalone building with a striking, transparent façade designed by acclaimed Tokyo-based architect and longtime collaborator Jun Aoki, its aesthetic takes cues from Taihu, a kind of stone which typifies traditional Chinese garden ornamentation. Mind you, the rocks, sculpted by centuries of erosion, feature organic shapes and porous textures, symbolising the ethereal beauty of Zen art.

Aoki applied this motif to the façade by designing a second crafted glass skin with fluid and non-geometric contours. This notion is combined by the architect with a specific dress conceived by Nicolas Ghesquière, artistic director of Louis Vuitton‘s women’s collections, and presented as the final look of the women’s Spring-Summer 2016 show in the French capital. The silver-toned garment embodied the ongoing dialogue between architecture and fashion at the fashion house, resulting in a façade that’s equally elegant, luminous, and translucent. Upon entering the Louis Vuitton flagship store, shoppers find themselves in a light-filled, three-level central atrium that connects all of the women’s areas.

The interior design has been created in-house and features a myriad of settings dedicated to specific sections of Louis Vuitton‘s extensive collections, all furnished with an array of custom pieces and carefully sourced objects. The new Louis Vuitton flagship store stocks the full range of merchandise—men’s and women’s leather goods, apparel, accessories, jewellery pieces, shoes, fragrances, and cosmetics. Additionally, no less than four private lounges are readily available for top clients. The third floor boasts a separate space for the home collection which can be privatised for shoppers to view a selection of furniture, textiles and the art of dining. Collections from leading designers such as Patricia Urquiola and Cristián Mohaded, and a special Depero capsule of home textiles are also displayed.

Complementing the shopping experience is Le Café Louis Vuitton on the top floor, the very first of its kind in the city. The bar area, inspired by Louis Vuitton trunks, was concepted as a tribute to savoir-faire. An outdoor dining room terrace along the façade is sheltered by the building’s whimsically shaped glass skin. Upon arrival, shoppers are first welcomed into an ‘infinite room’, a mirrored lobby that blurs the boundaries of space, before proceeding to the main dining room defined by flowing shapes and soft contours. The design of the bar area is inspired by Louis Vuitton trunks, and a V.I.P. room, hidden behind a mirrored door, is available for private dining. The hospitality concept is supervised by chef Leonardo Zambrino, and offers lunch, teatime and dinner experiences with sweet and savoury options. © superfuture