The Island of Louis Vuitton

21 September, 2011

It was by all accounts a historic moment for Louis Vuitton when the doors to its first Maison in Southeast Asia officially opened last weekend at Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands.

This is not just one of merely 12 Louis Vuitton Maisons in the world, but also its only store on water.

The man-made island of glass and steel is one of just 2 standalone pavilions designed by Moshe Safdie as part of the overall Marina Bay Sands integrated resort development.

Simply making one’s way to the Louis Vuitton Island Maison is a journey in itself – as is the intention! Visitors can choose to do so via an outdoor bridge, by boat (disembarking at the jetty) or from the mall-linked tunnel.

Similar to its fellow Maisons around the world, the Island is not just a luxury retail destination but also an experiential space that’s designed to highlight the artistic and cultural life of the city.

That experience begins in the tunnel leading to the Maison: the left side houses an exhibition space and on the right, one will find a display of iconic Louis Vuitton luggage linked to early 20th century transatlantic travel.

Inside, a bookstore offers a carefully curated selection of books on travel, design, art and culture. Also to be presented here is a new permanent installation by award-winning British artist Richard Deacon; the giant 8m by 15m hanging sculpture, titled “Upper Strut”, is inspired by the surface of water and will be one of the artist’s first works to ever be suspended.

The interiors are designed by Peter Marino, whose other illustrious retail endeavours include projects for Armani, Valentino and Chanel, as well as various other Louis Vuitton stores, just to name a few. The main contractor is ISG Asia.

The nautical-inspired spaces utilise traditional materials of the seafaring world, including the timber used for ships and the stone of harbours and slipways.

The Men’s Universe also features nautical accents rendered in timber, while the Women’s Universe has masts of sailing ships suspended in the air.

The mezzanine is devoted to travel, with views of the Singapore skyline, a display of the newly launched men’s travel apparel, and a private VIP lounge reminiscent of a cabin on an ocean liner. The lounge extends to an outdoor loggia, which appears uncannily like a deck on a luxury yacht.