LVMH is doubling down on China, having opened several major flagships in the country in December. Encouraged by early indicators of a luxury sales rebound, the group is weighing further expansion to capitalise on China’s economic recovery.

Following the success of its ship-shaped flagship in Shanghai opened mid-2025, the key LVMH brand has pivoted its strategic focus toward ‘hyper-physical’ immersive retail environments, deep-rooted cultural synergy, and the scaling of high-impact regional flagships. With the opening of its new emblematic building in the vibrant heart of Sanlitun, Beijing, Louis Vuitton has set another global benchmark for luxury retail and architecture. 
 
Architecture and fashion dialogue

As Louis Vuitton’s long-standing architectural partner, Jun Aoki envisioned a space that harmoniously balances local cultural heritage with a sense of global openness. The initial inspiration for the façade was the Taihu Stone, which is central to traditional Chinese garden design. 
 
“Beijing is a city of ‘transplanted’ nature, where the mountain’s spirit lives within the scholar’s rock,” architect Aoki Jun told FashionNetwork.com. “We envisioned this store as a stone found in such a garden, shaped by the four ancient principles of traditional Chinese scholar’s rock appreciation: the slenderness of Shòu（瘦) establishing the store’s upright and poised character; the rhythmic wrinkles of Zhòu（皱）imbuing the walls with a rugged, rock-like texture; the hollowed depth of Lòu（漏）creating intriguing pathways and framed vistas; and the luminous transparency of Tòu（透）ensuring the essential light and openness for a commercial space. It is more than a structure; it is a condensed landscape.”
 
The design also takes its inspiration from a Nicolas Ghesquière dress presented during a Louis Vuitton spring/ summer show in 2016, illustrating the fertile dialogue between architecture and fashion at the maison. The façade is treated as an elegant, sparkling, and translucent “garment” rather than a mere shell.
 
An immersive experience with gastronomy
 
The excellence of the building continues inside, where the retail space extends over four levels. It offers the entirety of the Louis Vuitton universe, including men’s and women’s leather goods, ready-to-wear, jewellery, shoes, perfumes, beauty, accessories, and the new Maison collection. Four private lounges are dedicated to the exclusive experience of Very Important Clients.  

The interior architecture, conceived by the maison’s Architecture Studio, focused on sequencing spaces and creating superimposed voids to generate surprising vertical perspectives and total immersion in natural light. The customer’s journey is thus a constant mix of viewing the brand’s extensive product offer and contemplating the façade’s delicate lace.
 
Summiting the building is the very first Louis Vuitton Café in Beijing. This space, set to become a new urban meeting point and a place of openness to the city, is completed with a private dining room and a remarkable 250 square metres of outdoor spaces, including a rooftop event bar. The Café embodies the maison’s desire to offer guests a complete and immersive lifestyle experience, intertwining design, culture, and gastronomy. 
 
Pivot to emotional retail
 
The era of pure acquisition has been superseded by a new focus in modern luxury, according to Bain & Company senior partner Bruno Lannes. He states that intangible experiences and deep emotional connections now hold the primary power to drive growth. As a result, physical retail requires a fundamental transformation: brands must concentrate resources on fewer, grander flagships that serve as sanctuaries for delivering powerful emotion, sensory immersion, and tailored personal engagement, rather than just being points of sale.
 
This philosophy is powerfully manifested in the architecture of Louis Vuitton’s new Beijing building. “Beijing represents a fascinating ‘centrality’- it accepts the world’s influences yet organises them into a logic that is purely its own,” said Aoki Jun. “As brands like Louis Vuitton move toward a holistic lifestyle offering, they must protect the ‘vibration’ of the destinations they inhabit.”
 
Betting on a market resurgence, Louis Vuitton is preparing for a bold new chapter in 2026. This vision was reinforced by LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault’s frequent presence in China in 2025, where he championed a strategy of cultural synergy. By scouting local craftsmanship and integrating Chinese heritage into its design DNA, the brand has transformed its flagships into emotive landscapes that offer more than just products-they offer a deep, immersive connection to the local soul. 
 
Moving beyond its role as a traditional luxury supplier, Louis Vuitton is emerging as a pioneer of a comprehensive lifestyle offering. By weaving its heritage of travel into the realms of dining and cultural dialogue, the brand is embarking on a transformative second chapter in China.
 
By Sissi Chu