Ambitious in scale and execution, the new Manhattan store is in fact only a temporary space, serving as a multiyear stopgap solution while the brand renovates its local flagship. Louis Vuitton, of course, is not one to do things halfway. Here, the vast atrium anchors five floors of retail pleasures, with a library, a café, and a chocolatier—all three firsts for the brand in the Americas. Elevator vestibules (also by Shigematsu) double as showcases for greatest hits, with wall-mounted installations of mirrored bags reflecting immersive tableaus of Yayoi Kusama’s polka dots and Stephen Sprouse’s graffiti, among other patterns. No matter where you stand, however, the towers loom large. “The atrium is the heart of the building—you see them from everywhere,” says Shigematsu. “It was a great space to do something vertical.”
The installation builds upon OMA’s trunkscape concept, which Shigematsu developed following a multiday crash course in Louis Vuitton’s legacy, visiting manufacturing facilities and poring over the archives. His initial iteration debuted at LV The Place Bangkok, a first-of-its kind flagship that incorporates galleries dedicated to Louis Vuitton’s history. There, people arrive via an arched tunnel of trunks, their corners barely touching in a seemingly lighter-than-air lattice. It’s just another of the many configurations that Shigematsu has studied in anticipation of future projects around the world. As inspiration for the Manhattan installation, Shigematsu cites the column-like works of Constantin Brancusi, though shoppers will inevitably draw their own comparisons to Jenga towers and local skyscrapers. Whatever the perceived reference points, Shigematsu notes, “we wanted to convey a sense of fun.” At 6 E. 57th St.; louisvuitton.com
