30 in 30: #7

Japan's Jun Aoki has so far created six shops for French fashion designer Louis Vuitton. Five of them are in the architect's native country, but one of them is in Midtown Manhattan.



Aoki's design basically skins an existing Art Deco building, wrapping five floors fully about the base and another six floors at the very corner. This asymmetrical wrapping is not arbitrary as it responds to the existing building's mass.



Much like the Hariri sister's design for Juan Valdez, this design veils the existing behind a thin layer of contemporary material. In the case of the coffee shop, stainless steel mesh is used. Here, a custom glass that is sometimes opaque and sometimes clear makes its greatest impression at the transition between the two. Two layers of frit are applied to insulated glass to create a layered effect that changes as one moves. It's an interesting effect both close-up and far away.



Directions:
The store is located on the NE corner of Fifth Avenue and 57th Street. Take the N,R,W to Fifth; F to 57th; 6 to Lexington.

Previously:
#1 - Church of the Crucifixion
#2 - 40 Mercer Residences
#3 - Dichroic Light Field
#4 - Juan Valdez Flagship
#5 - IAC/InterActiveCorp
#6 - South Court of NYPL