“The Louis” blends immersive retail, exhibition, and heritage storytelling in a landmark new flagship.
Louis Vuitton has opened a new concept space in downtown Shanghai designed to resemble a life-size cruise ship, featuring retail space, a café, and an exhibition. Dubbed “The Louis,” the three-story structure debuted with a 24-hour launch event, and sits at the entrance of HKRI Taikoo Hui, a major luxury shopping mall. The space builds on the brand’s heritage, linking its 19th-century origins in travel trunk-making to Shanghai’s legacy as a global port city.
The structure features a metallic exterior, glistening decks, and stacked upper levels formed by zinc-coated Louis Vuitton trunks. With “The Louis,” the brand continues to signal an effort to turn its physical retail spaces into storytelling tools through immersive design and cultural references.
Upon entering, visitors are guided through the Visionary Journeys exhibition, created in collaboration with architecture firm OMA. Spanning two floors and 13,000 square feet, the exhibition unfolds across 10 themed rooms that delve into Louis Vuitton’s heritage through archival artifacts, contemporary design, and immersive visual storytelling. A standout highlight is Trunkscape—a suspended tunnel of archival-style trunks set against a dynamic LED backdrop of Guilin’s landscapes.
The exhibition features dedicated spaces on craftsmanship, innovations in travel, and reinterpretations of the brand’s iconography. One room, “Books,” presents a rare collection of writings, sketches, and travel lectures by Gaston-Louis Vuitton, the founder’s grandson, alongside a tribute to Ernest Hemingway, a valued client of the house. Other rooms explore the brand’s collaborations, evolution, and legacy through design. The exhibition leads into the launch of Louis Vuitton’s new Travel Campaign, debuting July 1.
The Shanghai debut comes on the heels of Louis Vuitton’s monumental Milan flagship opening, signaling a continued emphasis on large-scale, experiential architecture to engage global audiences and deepen regional relevance.
As luxury brands reimagine the purpose of their retail spaces, Louis Vuitton’s Shanghai flagship suggests that the future of luxury lies in building destinations, not just stores. With localized storytelling and architectural ambition, “The Louis” may serve as a blueprint for how heritage brands can engage the next generation of global luxury consumers.
