CLIENTLVMH

SERVICESNew Construction

LOCATIONBois de Boulogne, Paris

SIZE11 779 m² / 126,788 sq ft

STATUSCompleted 2014

DESIGN ARCHITECTGehry Partners

CERTIFICATIONFirst project to be certified NF HQE™ in the category of cultural Architecture

AWARD2012 - AIA BIM Excellence Award

Designed by Frank Gehry to showcase the LVMH group’s collection of contemporary art, this iconic building served as a breeding ground for architectural and technological innovation.

STUDIOS was hired as the local architect at the very inception of the project to work alongside Gehry Partners, from the initial sketch phase to delivery.

The building and surrounding park (Photo by Fernand Urquijo)
The building and surrounding park (Photo by Fernand Urquijo)
View of the north facade (Photo by IwanBaan)
View of the north facade (Photo by IwanBaan)
The central gallery iceberg and its skylight (Photo by LouisMarieDauzat)
The central gallery iceberg and its skylight (Photo by LouisMarieDauzat)
Facade facing the southern parvis (Photo by IwanBaan)
Facade facing the southern parvis (Photo by IwanBaan)
glass sails, close-up (Photo by RahimDantoBarry)
glass sails, close-up (Photo by RahimDantoBarry)
Interlaced structures of the glass sails (Photo by LouisMarieDauzat)
Interlaced structures of the glass sails (Photo by LouisMarieDauzat)

STUDIOS collaborated with the latter to produce the necessary studies and designs and ensure that the project respected French regulations, working closely with the city of Paris. STUDIOS also handled the filing of building permits and oversaw works.

The projected was selected to serve as the pilot project for adapting the French HQE sustainable design certification for commercial buildings to cultural buildings.

Night view of the north facade from the Jardin d'Acclimatation (Photo by IwanBaan)
Night view of the north facade from the Jardin d'Acclimatation (Photo by IwanBaan)

Exceptional technical prowess for a great glass vessel dedicated to culture in the Bois de Boulogne

Serving as intermediary between Gehry Partners and the different players involved, STUDIOS was entrusted with the role of guardian and coordinator of the Digital Project, essential to respecting the geometry and the interfaces between the different volumes, in close collaboration with Gehry Partners and the different design teams.

Frank Gehry handsketch
Frank Gehry handsketch
Digital model
Digital model
Digital model
Digital model
North façade entrance (Photo by IwanBaan)
North façade entrance (Photo by IwanBaan)

Several ATEX (technical evaluations of experimentation) were required to implement unprecedented technical solutions that answered the demands of this highly exceptional project.

During works, STUDIOS also served as the cultural intermediary between the design architect and the European companies who handled 2D and 3D studies and accompanied the different players in their understanding of the building’s geometric complexity.

Avant-garde and technically ingenious, the project could not have been carried out without 3D modeling and Full BIM.

The building rises from a reflecting pool fed by a waterfall. Like icebergs, its sculptural volumes are wrapped in glass sails that float above terrace gardens and emerge from the foliage of the Bois de Boulogne.

The building’s prow (Photo by IwanBaan)
The building’s prow (Photo by IwanBaan)
View on the reflecting pool on the east side
View on the reflecting pool on the east side

The Louis Vuitton Foundation features a dozen exhibition galleries of varying shapes and sizes, as well as a bookstore, a restaurant and an auditorium whose mobile seating allows for a host of different configurations.

Jardin d’Acclimatation entrance (Photo by LouisMarieDauzat)
Jardin d’Acclimatation entrance (Photo by LouisMarieDauzat)
Lobby (Photo by RahimDantoBarry)
Lobby (Photo by RahimDantoBarry)
Auditorium (Photo by LouisMarieDauzat)
Auditorium (Photo by LouisMarieDauzat)
Exposition gallery n° 5 lit by a skylight (Photo by IwanBaan)
Exposition gallery n° 5 lit by a skylight (Photo by IwanBaan)
Monumental stair connecting the Galleries (Photo by RahimDantoBarry)
Monumental stair connecting the Galleries (Photo by RahimDantoBarry)

Awards and Press

  • AIA BIM Excellence Award — 2012

PHOTOGRAPHYIwanBaan, LouisMarieDauzat, RahimDantoBarry, Fernand Urquijo