OMA has unveiled its latest collaboration with Louis Vuitton as part of the French Pavilion at the upcoming World Expo 2025 in Osaka-Kansai. Designed by OMA Partner Shohei Shigematsu and Project Leader Jesse Catalano, the installation marks the third partnership between the architecture studio and the iconic fashion house, following earlier works in Bangkok and New York, and brings Louis Vuitton’s design legacy into dialogue with the Expo’s theme: A Hymn to Love.
At the heart of the pavilion are two immersive rooms dedicated to Louis Vuitton, conceived to express the duality of tradition and transformation within the brand’s identity. Inspired by Auguste Rodin’s sculptures of the hand, the overall pavilion unfolds in five thematic “odes.” Louis Vuitton’s installation corresponds with “The Cathedral”, a metaphorical hand that unifies craftsmanship and innovation.
Two Rooms, One Legacy
The first of the two spaces, referred to as a “library of craft,” pays homage to the brand’s savoir-faire, its storied craftsmanship and material innovation. The room features 84 iconic Louis Vuitton wardrobe trunks stacked from floor to ceiling. Each trunk opens to reveal bespoke interiors that display archival videos of artisans at work, brought to life with an ambient soundscape developed by IRCAM from recordings at Louis Vuitton’s historic Asnières atelier. Warm, lantern-like lighting illuminates the room from within the trunks, creating an atmospheric gradient as visitors move toward the second space.
In stark contrast, the second room offers a theatrical and futuristic interpretation of Louis Vuitton’s ongoing spirit of travel. Here, 90 Courrier Lozine trunks form a massive 6.6-meter-wide globe suspended in motion. Weighing 13 tons, the spherical installation is clad in white Monogram trunks and serves as a projection surface for a new audiovisual work by Japanese artist Daito Manabe. The kinetic sculpture rotates and ascends or descends in sync with the digital artwork, transforming the space into a multisensory experience of movement and light.
Craft Meets Innovation
“The design embodies Louis Vuitton’s delicate balance of heritage and reinvention,” said Shohei Shigematsu. “We used a single element—the trunk—to build two contrasting environments: one a layered archive, the other a performative, symbolic object. Together, they reflect the dialogue between past and future, between France and Japan, two cultures deeply rooted in craft and innovation.”
The installation not only highlights the evolution of Louis Vuitton’s iconic trunk but also serves as a symbol of global exchange, cultural continuity, and forward-thinking design. With its layered symbolism and bold spatial narrative, the project adds a distinctive architectural voice to the French Pavilion and sets the stage for one of the most anticipated exhibitions at Expo 2025.
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