Louis Vuitton Opens Maison Seoul, With a Gehry Façade and a Giacometti Floor

Louis Vuitton’s Maison Seoul, on Cheongdam-dong Avenue in Seoul’s Gangnam district, was reported open in early November 2019. The exterior was designed by Frank Gehry and the interior by Peter Marino.

The curved glass structure was inspired by the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris, also by Gehry. The design draws on Korean references, among them the Hwaseong Fortress and the Dongnae Hakchum crane dance. The basement and ground floor are given to men’s and women’s ready-to-wear, leather goods and accessories. The upper floors hold private and event spaces with an enclosed terrace, and the top floor is a gallery, Espace Louis Vuitton Seoul, which opened with eight sculptures by Alberto Giacometti from the Louis Vuitton collection, among them L’homme qui chavire (1950) and Grande Femme II (1960).

Cheongdam is Seoul’s street for flagships, and the building continues a habit of luxury houses commissioning famous architects for them. A hotel in the same district is Andaz Seoul Gangnam, a few minutes away in the same part of the city.