french fashion house louis vuitton has opened the largest of its flagship stores in osaka, japan with a facade by architect jun aoki and interiors by new york designer peter marino. inspired by sailing vessels the concept reflects the city?s heritage as japan?s most important port.

images courtesy of louis vuitton
 
 
jun aoki has designed a light and airy white structure that references the billowing sails of traditional higaki-kaisen cargo ship, which once transported cargo from osaka to tokyo (or edo, as it was once known). the purity of the façade is reinforced by the use of metal fretwork motifs at ground level, giving the impression of a ship floating on water.

 
 
slated to open on february 1st, inside the flour-floor louis vuitton store, peter marino has followed similar inspirations. wooden floors give the impression of decks, with wood-clad pillars and metal ceilings reminiscent of the spirit of a grand yacht embarking on an exciting adventure. meanwhile, traditional japanese materials such as woodwork and origami washi paper decorate spaces of various volumes including large halls and smaller corners.
 
 
in what louis vuitton calls a ?silent discussion between past and present?, original louis vuitton trunks sit alongside nearly 20 contemporary artworks selected or commissioned by marino. offering a counterpoint to the cool lines of the building, artworks by vik muniz, polly apfelbaum, kimiko fujimura, nicola de maria, and ida tursic & wilfried ...