The Louis Vuitton Masaryk Flagship in Mexico City uses its double-sided wooden facade as an architectural filter between the store and Avenida Presidente Masaryk. Designed by Materia, the 650 sqm project combines the Louis Vuitton flower motif with a system that controls natural light, provides privacy and maintains visual connections between the interior and the street.
Rather than functioning as decorative cladding, the facade forms part of the building’s environmental and spatial design. Its pattern, depth and structural system were developed specifically for the store, extending the brand’s graphic identity into the architecture.
A double-sided wooden screen
The facade develops the Louis Vuitton flower motif across a continuous wooden surface. The pattern is visible from both outside and inside the store, where the screen becomes part of the double-height interior space.
Its degree of openness regulates the amount of daylight entering the store while partially screening views from the street. From inside, the openings maintain a visual relationship with Avenida Presidente Masaryk, combining privacy with controlled views of the surrounding urban context.
The design was developed through studies of solar radiation, thermal protection, natural lighting and solar angles. Panel dimensions and thicknesses were adjusted accordingly, making the facade an active component of the building rather than an applied decorative layer.
Structure integrated between the wooden panels
The supporting system is concealed between the two layers of the facade. A thin steel structure provides the flexibility required in a city exposed to seismic activity while remaining hidden from view.
Wood had already been explored by Materia in previous Louis Vuitton stores in Latin America, but at Masaryk the material is developed as a double-sided screen. The result combines the graphic pattern, structural requirements and control of natural light within the same architectural element.
Inside the store, the double-height space allows the filtered daylight and the geometry of the facade to remain visible as customers move between levels. The interior also incorporates pieces by Mexican designers and artists, including Adrián Guerrero, introducing local references within the global Louis Vuitton retail identity.
Design: Materia – Gustavo Carmona
Location: Mexico City, Mexico
Area: 650 sqm
Photography: Jaime Navarro