Stainless steel mesh façade: Louis Vuitton flagship store, Tokyo

Louis Vuitton, Tokyo

The strikingly designed, large stainless steel mesh façade of the world's largest Vuitton branch in Tokyo turns the store into a high-class showpiece.

Four custom solutions, three different stainless steel types:

Overlapping complex mesh patterns on selected façade elements create a moiré effect, while an elaborately woven checkered pattern appears at the entrance to the store symbolizing a new Vuitton collection. All in all, the large-scale, metallic façade architecture is reminiscent of suitcases piled on top of one another, with its multifaceted character being derived from the aesthetic properties of stainless steel mesh and referencing the history of the luxury brand.

In accordance with the plans of the star architect Jun Aoki, GKD manufactured 58 fabric elements with dimensions of up to ten meters long and eight meters wide. Some mesh panels measure 57 square meters and weigh half a ton. All panels were mounted freely and seamlessly to the façade without any stabilizing distance pieces. As such, they can even withstand the force of a typhoon without deforming the substructure.