edmonton, alberta
edmonton, alberta
edmonton, alberta
edmonton, alberta
louis vuitton west edmonton mall
client: louis vuitton
location: west edmonton mall - edmonton, alberta
type: luxury retail standalone store
In 2019 Louis Vuitton opened its first store in West Edmonton Mall. dkstudio architects inc. was appointed as the executive architect for this 4000 square foot standalone store in Canada's largest shopping mall. Along with being the first Louis Vuitton store to open in the mall, it is also the first Louis Vuitton store in Canada to have a limestone cladded storefront made up of modular Louis Vuitton patterns.
The limestone installation was a delicate process requiring accurate surveys and effective coordination to execute the façade successfully. Stones were laid out and measured to establish critical façade dimensions, including glass openings, that would allow the modular stone piece to terminate precisely at their corners. This in turn also affected the store layout, as the placement of millwork and ceiling elements were driven by the façade openings. Amidst the Limestone exterior, the storefront consists of glass windows decorated with see-through Louis Vuitton motif patterns. These golden medallions were re-used from the now-closed Louis Vuitton Bond Street store in London, England.
The store interior consists of ribbed wood columns and custom furniture, along with artwork by Canadian artists such as 'Pink Moon' by Tim Rechner. Louis Vuitton also collaborated with Portage College, where seven students and an instructor from the Native Arts and Culture program created a column decoration made of leather and beads. Both beading and hide sculpting are traditional Indigenous art forms. The piece was inspired by an early Louis Vuitton design.
Prior to completion, Louis Vuitton operated a concession store in Holt Renfrew Edmonton, and decided to close the Holt Renfrew Store a few months after launching the standalone store in West Edmonton Mall. Subsequently Holt Renfrew closed its Edmonton venue.