Maison Louis Vuitton Sanlitun: Jun Aoki Designs a Colour-Shifting Architectural Dress in Beijing

Maison Louis Vuitton Sanlitun rises in the heart of Beijing as a fluid, translucent structure that blurs the line between architecture, fashion, and landscape. Designed by Japanese studio Jun Aoki & Associates, the four-storey flagship features a shimmering facade of dichroic glass that shifts colour with light, movement, and season—an architectural interpretation of a Louis Vuitton dress.

Fashion and Architecture Merge at Maison Louis Vuitton Sanlitun

The facade of Maison Louis Vuitton Sanlitun was inspired by a translucent dress designed by Nicolas Ghesquière for the Women’s Spring–Summer 2016 collection. Jun Aoki translated the garment’s lightness, movement, and layered form into architecture, envisioning the building as something “simultaneously a rock and a dress.”

Clad in dichroic mirrors, the facade behaves like fabric in motion—reflecting, refracting, and transforming daylight into a constantly evolving surface.

Scholar’s Rocks as Cultural Reference

Beyond fashion, Maison Louis Vuitton Sanlitun is deeply rooted in Chinese cultural symbolism. Aoki references gongshi, or scholar’s rocks—fluid, porous stones traditionally found in classical Chinese gardens and admired in Zen aesthetics.

The design follows four key qualities associated with these stones: slenderness, surface complexity, perforation, and permeability. These principles informed the building’s organic geometry and transparency, aligning natural philosophy with contemporary brand expression.

Architectural Lace and Colour-Shifting Glass

The facade of Maison Louis Vuitton Sanlitun is composed of two layers. An inner envelope provides insulation, while the outer layer consists of 315 hand-curved glass panels forming what the architect describes as “architectural lace.”

Through the use of dichroic mirrors, the surface shifts between hues as daylight changes, turning the building into a large-scale kaleidoscope. Advanced computational design tools allowed Jun Aoki & Associates to sculpt complex curved forms while maintaining structural optimisation and precision.

Interiors Open to Light and Movement

Inside Maison Louis Vuitton Sanlitun, the brand’s full collections are distributed across four levels, including leather goods, ready-to-wear, jewellery, and home objects. A central atrium connects the women’s areas, drawing natural light deep into the interior through the translucent facade.

The top floor houses the first Louis Vuitton café in Beijing, designed in collaboration with Astet Studio. Flowing forms continue indoors, complemented by an outdoor terrace sheltered by the facade. A mirrored lobby, rooftop bar, and private VIP spaces complete the experience—blending retail, hospitality, and spatial theatre.

Written by Otávio Santiago, a designer shaping narratives through motion, graphics, and 3D form. His approach merges emotion and precision to craft timeless visual identities and experiences.