Located on the heights of the prestigious Cheongdam-dong Avenue in the Gangnam district of Seoul, South Korea, the Louis Vuitton store offers a unique experience between tradition and modernity, past and present. Its unusual structure, designed by the architectural duo Frank Gehry and Peter Martino, is recognizable by its undulating shape, similar to the Louis Vuitton Foundation in the 16th arrondissement of Paris.
Conceived as an ode to Korean culture and heritage, the glass structure is a symbiosis between the culture of the “land of the morning calm” and its architecture. It is imagined as a work of art and was inspired by the Hwaseong Fortress.
As a modern metaphor for the ancestral values of Korean culture, Louis Vuitton again emphasizes an interconnection between nature and architecture. The premises offers a poetic charm, evoking a feeling of weightlessness, developed over five floors for a complete immersion in the heart of the brand’s universe. It features men’s and women’s ready-to-wear, leather goods, accessories, luggage, and private lounges to take the experience even further, not to mention the top floor dedicated to art, which hosts various exhibitions.
Until last October, the flagship store also hosted an ephemeral vegetarian restaurant, the result of a close collaboration between Louis Vuitton and chef Alain Passard, head of L’Arpège restaurant in Paris.
A journey between art and creativity that once again confirms the French luxury brand’s desire to invite society to travel the world and cultures.
Louis Vuitton Maison Seoul,
454, Apgujeong-ro, Gangnam-gu
35-517 Seoul, Korea
Thomas Durin
