Louis Vuitton Docks The Louis, a Ship-Shaped Landmark, in Shanghai

Louis Vuitton opened The Louis to the public on 28 June 2025 on the front plaza of HKRI Taikoo Hui, the shopping complex on Nanjing West Road in central Shanghai. It is a building in the shape of a ship, about 30 metres high, with a hull covered in the house’s monogram in metal and an upper deck made to look like a stack of its historic trunks. An anchor in the form of the LV initials hangs at the bow, where visitors enter.

The form was designed by the brand’s own team, and the reference is double. It recalls the steamships for which Louis Vuitton made trunks in the 19th century, and it refers to Shanghai’s history as a port and as a gateway between China and the world. This is what makes the project relevant beyond fashion: it was conceived for this city, and the company has described it as a cultural landmark created for the Chinese market rather than a format to be repeated elsewhere.

Inside are three levels and about 1,600 square metres. The first two floors hold Visionary Journeys, an exhibition with scenography by Shohei Shigematsu of OMA, which follows two threads: the history of the house and its long relationship with the sea, from ocean-liner luggage to the Louis Vuitton Cup regattas. Rooms are given over to perfume and vintage toiletry cases, to books and the writings of Gaston-Louis Vuitton, and to the workshops and testing that go into a trunk. A boutique offers leather goods, accessories and ready-to-wear, with personalisation that includes Shanghai-specific motifs.

On the top deck is Le Café Louis Vuitton, fitted in wood like the cabin of an old liner, with a menu that mixes French references and Shanghai’s own cooking. Admission to the exhibition is free, with visits booked in advance through the brand’s WeChat mini-programme.

Pietro Beccari, chairman and chief executive of Louis Vuitton, presented The Louis as a further step in the house’s cultural projects. Chinese reports put the investment at more than 100 million yuan. It arrived at a time of slower luxury spending in China, and it shows where the large houses are putting their effort: into places people visit for the experience, of which the shop is only one part.