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Fifth Avenue is no stranger to excess, but Louis Vuitton’s next act may raise the bar (literally) by half a dozen stories. Fresh plans filed with the city show that the French fashion house wants to replace its existing 20-story Midtown flagship with a shimmering 25-story tower that’s less shop, more lifestyle playground.
The proposal, submitted by LVMH to the Department of City Planning, envisions a 485-foot-tall temple to luxury that would roll retail, culture and a little pampering into one gilded package. Anchoring the project is a 10-story flagship store where Vuitton devotees can browse leather goods and runway looks. But the real flex starts upstairs: The eighth floor will host a café and terrace with Central Park views; four floors of exhibitions will showcase the brand’s 170-year history; higher still, guests can expect a spa, showroom suites and a restaurant lineup capped by a top-floor bar and garden.
In filings, LVMH describes the scheme as a “world-class experiential retail destination” where visitors can enjoy “shopping, culture and moments of respite, all in a single visit.” Translation: Fifth Avenue’s future could feel like a Vuitton-branded amusement park for the one percent.
Design-wise, early renderings depict the building as a stack of four curved volumes that subtly twist toward Central Park, an architectural nod to Vuitton’s famous trunks, only this time packed with handbags and Champagne instead of silk gowns. The project clocks in at 147,528 square feet, maxing out zoning allowances with the help of a nearly 25,000-square-foot bonus granted in exchange for upgrades at the Lexington Avenue-59th Street subway station, including a new ADA-accessible elevator.
Of course, this being New York, there are hoops to jump through. The design bends (and breaks) certain zoning rules around street walls, setbacks and pedestrian space. LVMH has requested city approvals to move forward, arguing that complying with those requirements would compromise the building’s efficiency.
It’s not Vuitton’s first local spectacle. The brand has already wrapped its current Fifth Avenue site in scaffolding designed to look like a stack of LV trunks, turning construction into a tourist photo op. But if this latest vision goes through, the façade won’t just be a marketing stunt—it’ll be the permanent skyline.
For now, it’s paperwork and public approvals. But soon? Fifth Avenue might just trade its department store vibe for a 25-story Vuitton playground where the price of admission is at least a monogrammed wallet.