Fondation Louis Vuitton

Year: 2014
Category: Concepts · Architecture +Light
Type: Commercial
Status: Built
Firm: L'Observatoire International
Location: Île-de-France, France

Comissioned by Bernard Arnault and designed by Frank Gehry, the Fondation is situated on the site of the Bois de Boulogne in Paris, France opened on October 2014. At the heart of the space, the public will be invited to discover the permanent collection made up of works belonging to the Fondation and drawn from Arnault’s personal collection, as well as temporary exhibitions – two per year – and musical events in the auditorium. Drawing inspiration from 19th century glass and garden architecture, Gehry created a glass ark whose sails soar amidst the trees of the Bois de Boulogne.

The 12 transparent mainsails were constructed from 3,600 glass panels and enclose a central, concrete core. Within the core are 11 galleries and a 360 -1,000 seat modular auditorium, all dedicated to the exhibition of the Fondation Louis Vuitton's permanent collections, as well as rotating exhibitions. As night falls, the structure is transformed from opaque shell to glowing lantern, as the central core of the building begins to glow with warm white light and the glass sails, made transparent by the night sky, take on a delicate, almost diaphanous quality.

The warm light from within highlights the architectural detail of both the central core and the sweeping sails wrapped around it, while never losing a sense of the structure as a singular entity. The lighting gives this monumental structure buoyancy and movement, as light from the reflecting pool dapples the billowing glass sails, making the building float, ark-like amidst the green sea of trees. L'O provided the lighting design of the interior of public spaces and galleries, exterior lighting of building and landscape.

Dimmable, integrated LED fixtures allow for a degree of sustainability exceeding the most stringent energy policies.