Maison Louis Vuitton Sanlitun: Retail & Hospitality Architecture

Retail and Hospitality as an Architectural Art

Retail and hospitality design is considered one of the rare fields in which architecture can manifest itself on multiple levels simultaneously. It is not limited to function or visual spectacle alone; rather, it extends to telling a complete story in which materials, lighting, visitor movement, and overall atmosphere interact. The goal is to create an experience that immerses the visitor temporarily away from the outside world, offering a sense of harmony and precision in every detail of the space.

Louis Vuitton Store in Beijing: An Integrated Urban Experience

A clear example of this concept is Maison Louis Vuitton Sanlitun in Beijing. Designed by architect Jun Aoki, the project brings together retail, hospitality, and exhibition elements within a single vertical structure. Instead of the conventional horizontal spread, the building offers an experience that unfolds floor by floor, rethinking the role of the luxury flagship store within a dense urban district full of commerce and activity.

The Interaction Between Design and the Visitor

Through vertical design and intelligent spatial organization, visitors can move between different layers of the experience without feeling disoriented. Each floor presents a distinct scene, while the visitor’s journey remains seamlessly connected, enhancing their understanding of the brand and the spatial experience as a cohesive whole.

A detail of the hand-curved glass panels, which create a dynamic surface that changes with daylight and movement. (Image © Daici Ano)

Ongoing Architectural Collaboration

This project continues Jun Aoki’s long-standing partnership with Louis Vuitton, following previous works in Tokyo and Osaka. However, his approach in Beijing appears to be uniquely adapted to the local context, reflecting a deep understanding of the neighborhood in which the project is situated.

Depth and Transparency Instead of Clamor

Rather than attempting to compete with the visual noise of the Sanlitun district, the building offers a sense of physical depth and calculated transparency. Here, architecture does not aim for spectacle or dominance, but for gentle absorption and redirection, allowing the surrounding city to be integrated while reshaping the visitor’s visual experience in a smooth and balanced manner.

Interaction Between the Building and the Urban Context

Through this approach, the building becomes part of the urban dialogue rather than a separate or loud element. The design also demonstrates respect for the surrounding environment, offering visitors a deliberate architectural immersion where materials, lighting, and spatial organization converge to provide a simultaneous sense of expansiveness and calm.

Interior view of the luxury jewelry and accessories section at Louis Vuitton Sanlitun, featuring soft lighting, elegant display cases, and high-end finishes. — The interior design uses material changes and subtle lighting to define private luxury zones without explicit separation. (Image © Daici Ano)

Artistic display of a classic Louis Vuitton trunk against a dark blue textured wall with framed heritage sketches at the Beijing Maison. — The store blends retail with exhibition elements, showcasing the brand’s heritage through carefully curated displays. (Image © Daici Ano)

The Facade as a Pivotal Element

The most prominent feature of Maison Louis Vuitton Sanlitun is its facade, inspired by Taihu stones, also known as “scholar rocks,” historically associated with classical Chinese gardens. Architect Jun Aoki transforms these weathered, organic stones into an exterior skin made of hand-curved glass panels.

Dynamic Glass Design

Each glass panel is individually designed, creating irregular lines and a multi-layered surface that shifts with the movement of daylight. The glass features semi-transparency and dual-tone properties, allowing color variations that respond to the sun’s angle, weather conditions, and visitor movement. From a close distance, the facade appears tangible and sculptural; from across the street, reflections stretch and compress, giving the building a constantly changing presence.

The Two Layers: Balancing Aesthetics and Performance

Behind the outer glass layer lies a secondary envelope responsible for thermal performance and weather protection. This dual-layer strategy reflects the design’s ability to merge cultural symbolism with environmental efficiency, as the facade simultaneously serves as a cultural reference, environmental filter, and urban frontage. This balance demonstrates how architecture can unify practical beauty and artistic function in a single space.

Entry area of Le Café Louis Vuitton in Beijing, featuring mirrored walls, a sleek reception desk, and illuminated bookshelves. — The entrance to the cafe uses mirrors to multiply reflections, marking a transition into the hospitality experience. (Image © Daici Ano)

Spacious dining area of Le Café Louis Vuitton in Beijing with warm orange seating, textured ceiling, and views of the Sanlitun district through the glass skin. — The first Louis Vuitton café in Beijing offers a flowing dining space that connects the visitor back to the city. (Image © Daici Ano)

The Central Atrium: The Heart of the Experience

Upon entering, visitors are immediately drawn to the central atrium, which spans three floors and is primarily organized around the women’s collections. Daylight filters through the glass facade into this vertical space, adding vitality and visual depth to the floors, staircases, and circulation cores.

Spatial Distribution and Interior Programs

Retail programs extend across four floors, encompassing women’s and men’s leather goods, ready-to-wear fashion, footwear, jewelry, accessories, perfumes, and beauty products. Visitor movement is carefully orchestrated, with escalators and elevators positioned to maintain long, clear sightlines across the atrium and even toward the city beyond. More private client lounges are located in quieter zones, defined through subtle changes in materials and lighting rather than rigid separation, enhancing comfort and fluidity.

The Third Floor: A Complete Home Experience

The third floor introduces a distinct tonal shift, showcasing the Louis Vuitton Home collection. This includes furniture, textiles, and tableware designed by designers such as Patricia Urquiola and Christian Mohaider. The rooms are scaled closer to a residential environment, with soft finishes and gentle lighting, allowing the products to be fully appreciated and creating an experience that feels more like a home than a traditional store.

Full-height view of the Maison Louis Vuitton Sanlitun storefront at street level, showing the dichroic properties of the glass panels. — From across the street, the building’s reflections expand and contract, giving it a constantly changing presence. (Image © Daici Ano)

Close-up of the upper floors of the LV Beijing Maison, showing the integration of greenery on the terrace behind the translucent glass skin. — The glass skin partially screens the terrace, providing a sense of depth and calculated transparency. (Image © Daici Ano)

The Upper Experience: A Café Adding a New Dimension

On the upper floors, Le Café Louis Vuitton crowns the building as the brand’s first café in Beijing. Visitors begin their journey through a mirrored entrance that multiplies reflections before opening into a flowing dining space. The bar design references the proportions and layered construction of the brand’s trunks, while a terrace runs along the facade, partially screened by the glass skin, offering views of the Sanlitun district and the surrounding city.

Integrating Retail and Hospitality

By combining retail and hospitality within a single architectural envelope, Maison Louis Vuitton Sanlitun demonstrates how experiential design can transcend traditional shopping boundaries. The building is not limited to function alone; it tells a story through materials, spatial sequences, and a sensitive response to the urban context.

Creating an Immersive World for Visitors

The building offers an immersive experience that temporarily transports visitors away from the fast pace of life in Beijing, inviting them to engage more consciously and appreciatively with the design. Each level and every corner becomes part of a cohesive journey, merging functionality with aesthetics, and balancing interaction with the city and immersion within a carefully organized space.

✦ ArchUp Editorial Insight

Although Maison Louis Vuitton Sanlitun delivers a cohesive architectural experience by integrating retail and hospitality, some design elements raise questions when viewed from the perspective of sustainability and long-term urban interaction. The curved glass facade and multiple layers provide visual flexibility and dynamic lighting, yet they may pose challenges in terms of cost, maintenance, and energy efficiency compared to traditional materials or simpler natural ventilation strategies. Similarly, the vertical design stands as a visual weight within the bustling Sanlitun district, prompting questions about how the building interacts with the cityscape, especially during peak hours.

On the other hand, the project can be seen as an educational model for architects and designers aiming to explore multi-functional integration within a single building. It offers clear insights into managing vertical spaces, distributing visitor circulation, and designing facades responsive to light. However, applying this model in other projects may require significant adjustments according to local context, financial constraints, and sustainability considerations, limiting its direct replicability.

Overall, the project provides a valuable case study for understanding the balance between aesthetic ambition and practical challenges, without necessarily serving as a perfect template for replication in different contexts. For more insights and similar projects, explore our Archive and Projects sections.