UNStudio adds pixelated glass + stainless steel façade to louis vuitton store in amsterdam

UNStudio has added a textured and transparent, laced and illuminated, brick pixelation façade to a louis vuitton store located on P.C. hooftstraat 140-142 in amsterdam. cast in stainless steel, the bricks feature glass inlays that generate a pixelated effect to the partially transparent façade, creating a distinctive shopfront experience on one of the city’s best-known streets.

located next to the looking glass — also designed by UNStudio — the  brick pixelation façade expresses a detail-oriented interpretation of textiles, embodying the intricate, crafted details epitomized by couture clothing. while the façade is made of custom cast stainless steel bricks with glass inlays at street level, it transitions across the second floor back to the anthracite brickwork of a traditional dutch townhouse. as such, this veil of stainless steel bricks can be experienced differently from relational distances, while keeping in step with the architectural heritage of amsterdam.

for the brick pixelation façade, UNStudio experimented in order to arrive to the correct brick size, with the perfect transparency and lighting components that could create the appropriate effect on the surroundings. the resulting steel bricks feature the same size as a typical one, but have softer edges which give them a more refined and intricate detailed appearance. the stainless steel bricks are cast in different sizes, following a similar pattern to the traditional brick façade on the upper levels. the individual stainless steel bricks are precisely mounted onto larger steel frames, then installed on site. operable glass windows behind the steel brick façade allow for maintenance and cleaning.

for residents, a stainless steel entrance door composed of the same bricks but with an opaque glass inlays welcomes them and ensures privacy in the apartment entrance area. the stainless steel door handle and doorbell are also custom designed to integrate into the overall facade appearance. the white steel window frames continue into the interior. slanting the glass panels emphasizes the dynamic of the white frames, a detail which is also continued in the smaller first floor windows.

‘these neighboring facade projects that we have designed for the P.C. hooftstraat are principally concerned with contrasting and crafting the detail through scale and materiality,’ comments ben van merkel, UNStudio’s principal. ‘the design of the facade for 140-142 intentionally employs a more sober scale of detailing to its neighbor. at 140-142, steel bricks inlayed with glass are crafted to refine and compose the details, creating a contemporary interpretation of the traditional bricks found in dutch townhouses. and while the windows of 138 span multiple floors and protrude outwards, those of 140-142 slant inwards and are brought back to the townhouse scale on the second floor.’

project info:

name: P.C. hooftstraat 140-142 // brick pixelation façade

design: UNStudio: ben van berkel, astrid piber with ger gijzen, marc salemink, sontaya bluangtook and pauline caubel, daniele de benedictis, chao liu, yang li

executive architect: architectenburo dik smeding bv

façade engineer: arup
main contractor: jan vet b.v.