LIFE BEYOND FIRST CLASS
DESIGN & ARCHTIECTURE
DESIGN IN
FULL SAIL
At Louis Vuitton’s The Louis in Shanghai, architect
Shohei Shigematsu transforms a landmark flagship
into a contemporary cultural vessel, seamlessly
merging the spirit of oceanic travel with immersive
storytelling and modern design.
JESSICA HALL
PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY OF LOUIS VUITTON
Shohei Shigematsu, partner at OMA and director of its New York office, is an architect known for turning cultural ambition into clear, engaging spaces. His portfolio spans museums, performance venues, and fashion houses, and each project balances narrative with precise spatial planning. At Louis Vuitton’s Taikoo Hui in Shanghai, Shigematsu delivers one of the Maison’s most theatrical destinations to date, transforming a flagship into an experience.
Nicknamed The Louis, the building reads as an ocean liner moored among the city’s towers. A shimmering exterior patterned with the LV Monogram announces a journey before visitors even step inside. The facade frames a distinct arrival sequence. You pass beneath a sweeping glass canopy, then enter through a portal cut into the ship like hull. The gesture is bold, but the tone is generous and open to the city.
Inside, the layout treats retail as a cultural program. Rooms invite exploration rather than a quick pass through the aisles. At the core is Visionary Journeys, an exhibition conceived by Shigematsu that unfolds through eight rooms. Each space presents a chapter in the brand story, from Origins and Voyage to Perfume and Books, which includes a library trunk associated with Ernest Hemingway. Sports, Fashion and Leather Goods, and Workshop follow, revealing the evolution of craft and the careful processes behind it. The sequence is fluid. There is no prescribed route. Instead, a series of moments builds a narrative about Louis Vuitton’s evolution.
The design language is warm and contemporary. Curved partitions guide movement without forcing it. Wood underfoot and soft lighting above create comfort and focus. In several galleries, walls are clad with rippled metal and fabric to suggest the ribs of a hull and to soften acoustics. A domed ceiling with radiant light bands anchors one gallery and gives it a calm, ceremonial quality. Materials are tactile and honest, a mix of metal, wood, and woven textiles that support the objects on display rather than compete with them.
Display islands are low and generous, which keeps the horizon line clear and encourages visitors to circulate at an even pace. Archival trunks sit beside recent creations so that methods and ideas can be read side by side. In the Workshop room, tools, patterns, and films describe the path from drawing to finished piece. The tone is instructive without feeling didactic.
Beyond the galleries, a cafe and lounge extend the visit. Seating curves around bookshelves that carry art and design titles, travel writing, and house publications. Service pieces and presentation carts reference the vocabulary of the trunk. The room lighting is warm and even, which invites longer stays and quiet conversation. Nearby, a library wall and small reading tables encourage browsing and study, a welcome counterpoint to the city’s pace.
Throughout, wayfinding is intuitive. Thresholds are marked by shifts in floor pattern and light rather than signage. The color palette is restrained and consistent, which allows product and archive to stand forward. Sound is controlled so that rooms feel intimate even at peak hours. Accessibility is carefully considered, with clear circulation, gentle slopes, and ample turning space.
By night, the exterior becomes a beacon. The outline lighting traces the ship form, and the monogram surface takes on new depth. It reads as civic theater as much as brand architecture, a public moment that belongs to the street as well as to the store.
Shigematsu’s hand is evident in the clarity of circulation and in the way each room holds a distinct mood while remaining part of a larger whole. The project respects the tradition of travel at the heart of the brand, yet it feels fully current. It asks visitors to slow down, look closely, and connect with process as much as product.
With The Louis in Shanghai, Louis Vuitton and Shohei Shigematsu present a new model for the flagship. It is a store, a gallery, and a cultural stop in one, and it proves that architectural clarity is the most compelling form of expression.
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