Hubbry Logo
LVMH TowerLVMH TowerMain
Open search
LVMH Tower
Community hub
LVMH Tower
logo
8 pages, 0 posts
0 subscribers
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
LVMH Tower
LVMH Tower
LVMH Tower
View on Wikipedia
from Wikipedia

The LVMH Tower is a 24-story high-rise office tower on 57th Street, near Madison Avenue, in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Designed by Christian de Portzamparc, the building opened in 1999 as the overseas headquarters of Paris-based LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE. The building has received widespread praise from architecture critics.

Key Information

Architecture

[edit]

Facade

[edit]
LVMH Tower seen from 57th Street

The building occupies a narrow site between a 1920s bank building and the 1995 American headquarters of Chanel S.A. (designed by Charles Platt after de Portzamparc had completed his design for the LVMH Tower).[1] It is across 57th Street from 590 Madison Avenue, formerly the IBM Building.[2] In contrast to all of these, it is clad in glass. An eleven-story base includes ground-level store space for Christian Dior, designed by Peter Marino,[3][4] with a metal strip above it that acts as a unifying element.[5] The tower itself has a complex, angular facade divided into two sections along the diagonal, with the right (east) side projecting and bent in the middle, producing a geometry that has been described as feminine, like the fall of a skirt over a bent knee,[5][6][7] and also, including by de Portzamparc himself, as resembling the unfolding petals of a flower.[1][8] A blue glass cube at the center of the fold on the 10th floor resembles a gem.[1][8][9] The glass on the left (west) side is green, with fritted dots;[6] on the right side, it is milky white, with each window divided at an angle into a sandblasted half and a clear half with sandblasted lines across it that grow wider on higher floors.[1][7] The facade also uses ultra-clear low-iron glass. It has set a precedent for other buildings erected by manufacturers of luxury goods.[10]

At night, the white section of the building is lit pale green and violet and the other half recedes; neon tubes under the front fold provide a slash of changing colored light.[1][5][7][11][12]

The folded facade with its protrusion is an innovative interpretation of the requirement for setbacks in New York City's building code,[3][5][13] with a void in the lower section and with the upper section folding back outward in a prismatic rather than a "wedding-cake" shape.[6] Having the building touch the mandated setback line at the minimum two points and folding it inwards from the base to the top made it possible for it to be taller than the neighboring Chanel Building.[14][15]

Interior

[edit]

Each business within the LVMH group has its own floor in the building.[16] The interior design, by the Hillier Group, de Portzamparc's U.S. associate architects on the project, features glass, pressed wood, and metal in the elevator lobby and a glass-enclosed cubic reception space on the top floor, three floors or thirty feet high, made possible by the savings in floor space below, which LVMH calls the Magic Room.[1][14][17] This is entered in dramatic fashion down a curving stairway from a mezzanine floor.[1][6]

History

[edit]

Ground was broken for the building in 1996, but work was then largely halted for four years by disagreements over financing with the landlord, Robert Siegel,[18] and logistical problems with manufacturing the components in multiple countries.[1][3] The building opened on December 8, 1999, with a gala that included a model wearing a Galliano gown whose 60-foot train cascaded down the facade.[3][19]

A planned addition, including an obelisk echoing the IBM Building and a slab of fritted glass at the Madison Avenue corner, was canceled in 2001 because of the economic downturn.[20]

Critical reception

[edit]

The LVMH Tower has met with praise from architecture critics. Architecture called it "one of the most serious and significant structures in the city in recent years".[6] Ada Louise Huxtable, writing in the Wall Street Journal, called it "the epitome of controlled, refined elegance", "the best new building in New York—not by small degrees but by the equivalent of a jump shot to the moon".[3] Herbert Muschamp, writing in The New York Times, called it "[t]he most important building to be completed in New York in years. . . . [a reinvention of] the spirit of Art Deco",[21] but said that rather than merely imitating Art Deco skyscrapers of the past, the building "deforms the style in order to reinvigorate its fresh, jazzy spirit".[1] Paul Goldberger, writing in The New Yorker, called it "exactly right for the city at this moment", "a stunning, lyrical building";[22] however, with the exception of the "Magic Room" he was disappointed by the interiors, calling the offices "dull, flat spaces".[23] The Architecture critic also called this "the one great space" and referred to the elevators and offices as "cram, not glam" and "stuffed".[6] Huxtable noted that the small lobby was intended to seem larger by means of lighted white glass panels, but in her opinion the addition of decoration had defeated the effect.[14]

References

[edit]

Sources

[edit]
  • Paul Goldberger, "Dior's New House," The New Yorker, January 31, 2000, repr. in Building Up and Tearing Down: Reflections on the Age of Architecture, New York: Random House/Monacelli, 2009, ISBN 978-1-58093-264-6, pp. 111–115.
  • Eric Höweler, Skyscraper, New York: Rizzoli/Universe, 2003, ISBN 9780789310057, pp. 166–167
  • Ada Louise Huxtable, "French Elegance Hits Midtown Manhattan", The Wall Street Journal, January 10, 2000, repr. in On Architecture: Collected Reflections on a Century of Change, New York: Walker/Bloomsbury, 2008, ISBN 9780802717078, pp. 285–290.
  • Sydney LeBlanc, "LVMH Tower, 1999" in The Architecture Traveler: A Guide to 250 Key 20th Century American Buildings, New York: Norton, 2000, ISBN 9780393730500.
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

LVMH Tower

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
The LVMH Tower is a 24-story office located at 19 East 57th Street in , , which formerly served as the headquarters for Moët Hennessy SE, the world's largest conglomerate. In 2023, announced the relocation of its US headquarters to . Completed in 1999 and standing at a height of 100 meters (328 feet), the building was designed by Pritzker Prize-winning French architect as his first major project in the . Commissioned by chairman on a narrow 62-foot-wide plot adjacent to the black-granite Building, the tower's prismatic form and innovative facade were conceived to create a luminous to the area's heavier, more uniform . Its exterior features an asymmetrical "folded" curtain wall of over 45,000 square feet of custom unitized —sandblasted, etched, ceramic-fritted, and low-emissivity panels in low-iron —illuminated by colorful fluorescent tubing in greens, whites, and blues that accentuate its fractured planes rising through 24 stories. The all-steel structure supports a gross of approximately 8,683 square meters (93,463 square feet), with ground-level retail spaces for boutiques, office floors above, and a penthouse "Magic Room" offering panoramic views of . The tower's design draws inspiration from precedents while embracing modern fluidity, earning acclaim for revitalizing stylish skyscraper aesthetics in New York and distinguishing itself amid the luxury retail corridor of 57th Street. Since its opening, it has symbolized LVMH's global prestige, housing executive offices for brands like , , and , and contributing to the street's evolution as a hub for high-end commerce and .

Location and context

Site and surroundings

The LVMH Tower is located at 19 East 57th Street, between Fifth and Madison Avenues, in , , NY 10022. Its geographic coordinates are 40°45′45.66″N 73°58′21.55″W. This positioning places the tower in one of Manhattan's most prestigious commercial corridors, directly adjacent to the iconic luxury retail strip along . The surrounding area forms a core part of New York City's luxury retail district, characterized by flagship stores of renowned brands. Notable nearby establishments include Tiffany & Co.'s historic flagship at 727 , a symbol of high-end jewelry since 1940, and Bergdorf Goodman's at the corner of and 57th Street, which has anchored upscale retail in the neighborhood since its relocation there in 1928. Historically, 57th Street has served as a vital corridor for high-end and jewelry, evolving from an artistic hub in the late 19th century—bolstered by institutions like —to a haven for elite boutiques and galleries by the mid-20th century, attracting affluent shoppers with its blend of cultural and commercial allure. As of 2025, the district continues to evolve with the opening of the expanded House of Dior flagship at the adjacent prewar red-brick building on the northwest corner of 57th Street and Madison Avenue (23 East 57th Street), designed by and spanning four floors with a dedicated and maison section. Additionally, announced plans in 2023 for a new 25-story flagship tower at 1 East 57th Street, further solidifying the street's role as a global luxury commerce hub. The tower occupies a narrow sliver site, wedged between the granite-and-glass to the east and a prewar red-brick structure on the northwest corner of 57th Street and , which accentuates its vertical form in the dense urban fabric. This constrained footprint, typical of Midtown's tightly packed commercial blocks, integrates the building by responding to zoning regulations that step back upper floors, creating a dynamic presence without overwhelming adjacent low-rise facades. Across the street stands the , its dark glassy surface influencing the tower's design to diffuse reflections and harmonize with the eclectic streetscape. In the broader Midtown context, the LVMH Tower contributes to the postmodern evolution of the skyline, introducing fractured, prismatic elements that reimagine the neighborhood's historic and landmarks, such as the nearby on . By slipping into this dense environment as a slender, light-infused addition, it enhances the area's transition from 20th-century to contemporary expressions of luxury and fragmentation, reinforcing Midtown's status as a global hub for high fashion and architecture.

Building specifications

The LVMH Tower stands at a height of 100 meters (328 feet), comprising 24 stories above ground level. Constructed between 1995 and 1999, the structure features an all-steel frame that supports its vertical form on a narrow urban site at 19 East 57th Street in . The building's architectural style represents a postmodern reinterpretation of , incorporating crystalline and prismatic forms that evoke the angular geometries and jazzy spirit of New York skyscrapers while integrating contemporary glass elements for a dynamic, folded facade. Designed by French architect in collaboration with the Hillier Group, it avoids direct imitation of historical Deco motifs, instead deforming them to create an autonomous vertical presence amid surrounding structures. Primarily serving as the U.S. headquarters for Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE, the tower accommodates corporate offices for key brands including and , alongside retail spaces on the lower levels. The ground floor includes a for , interior-designed by to align with the brand's luxury aesthetic. The structure is predominantly clad in glass, featuring over 45,000 square feet of custom unitized curtain wall systems in white sanded finishes, complemented by accents for structural and decorative elements. This material palette enhances the building's reflective and translucent qualities, contributing to its visual lightness on the dense Midtown skyline.

Architecture

Facade and exterior

The facade of the LVMH Tower consists of angular, prismatic vertical volumes of that produce a distinctive "stacked boxes" effect, enhancing the building's slender profile on its narrow lot. These volumes feature an asymmetrical "folded" design with no spandrels, utilizing extra-transparent white that has been sandblasted and etched to create patterns of clear wedges and dynamic light play across the surface. The west-facing incorporates green-tinted panels with fritted dots for subtle shading, while the east side employs milky white, sandblasted to diffuse reflections, particularly from the adjacent building's dark facade. At the base, an 11-story podium supports the tower, incorporating a ground-level storefront originally for the boutique finished in , which unifies the lower levels with a continuous metal strip. Innovative elements include folded glass panels that interpret New York City's zoning setbacks through indented volumes rather than conventional step-backs, allowing the structure to maintain a continuous verticality while complying with regulations. A notable feature is a blue glass cube protruding at the center of the fold on the 10th floor, evoking a and contributing to the facade's illuminated accents in green, white, and blue tones. The engineering of the exterior relies on a custom unitized curtain wall system developed by Heintges & Associates, comprising over 45,000 square feet of advanced glazing including low-e, low-iron, ceramic-fritted, and sandblasted panels for energy efficiency and visual opacity variations; this system was completed in 1999, enabling the tower's innovative form on a constrained site. Overall, the facade's crystalline, jewel-like facets symbolize luxury, mirroring the high-end of LVMH's brands through their faceted, refractive quality.

Interior design

The interior design of the LVMH Tower was led by the Hillier Group in collaboration with architect , creating spaces that adapt to the building's irregular prismatic form for both corporate offices and retail functions. The overall aesthetic emphasizes a modern luxury through extensive use of glass elements, including half-etched and half-sandblasted panels from that diffuse light while maintaining transparency, complemented by neon accents muted by milky glass in lobbies and deep-blue crystalline shapes in common areas. A standout feature is the "Magic Room," a three-story-high glass-enclosed reception space on the top floor, spanning 30 feet in height and designed as an aquarium-like grand meeting hall with panoramic views of . This cubic volume, made possible by efficient space allocation on lower floors, includes a curving grand stairway that sweeps down for dramatic entrances, serving as an executive showcase for events and tours. The ground-floor retail space originally integrated Christian Dior retail, though as of 2025, the adjacent House of Dior flagship at 23 East 57th Street, redesigned by architect Peter Marino, evokes a light-filled townhouse atmosphere with soft tones, Versailles parquet flooring, and monumental windows that flood the interiors with natural light. Marino's opulent scheme incorporates custom fixtures such as bespoke furniture, art installations like a Peter Wirtz garden and Joyce Billet ornament, and specialized lighting to highlight collections of ready-to-wear, leather goods, jewelry, and perfumes. Office layouts across the upper floors feature flexible configurations tailored to individual brands, with each occupying dedicated levels that bend to the tower's eccentric geometry for adaptable workspaces. These areas prioritize through extensive interior glazing tied to the building's facade, enhancing visual connectivity and openness. Accessibility is supported by a multi-elevator system, including glass-enclosed cabs that provide vertical sightlines between floors, fostering a sense of continuity within the tower's dynamic interior volumes.

History

Planning and construction

The LVMH Tower's development began in the mid-1990s as part of Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton's strategy to establish a consolidated North American headquarters in , accommodating offices for brands such as and Moët alongside ground-floor boutiques. French architect was commissioned in 1995 for the project, selected for his postmodern style that blended sculptural forms with urban context, marking his first major commission in the United States. De Portzamparc collaborated closely with the New York-based Hillier Group as associate architects, who handled local adaptations and to ensure compliance with American building standards. LVMH acquired the narrow site at 19-21 East 57th Street in 1995, situated between a 1920s bank building and the recently completed headquarters, amid the company's broader expansion in Manhattan's luxury retail district. To enlarge the constrained plot, LVMH purchased an adjacent , adding approximately 6 meters to the footprint and enabling a taller vertical structure rather than a low-rise horizontal one. Initial designs in 1995 explored a stacked-box configuration to maximize the limited space, but these were refined into the final angular, prismatic form following the site expansion, creating a rift-like edge that ascends from base to penthouse. Construction started in 1995, spanning four years until completion in 1999, but was briefly halted in 1997 due to a legal dispute with the site's developer, Robert , over partnership terms, resuming later that year after settlement. The project's primary challenges stemmed from the site's narrow dimensions—spanning approximately 62 feet (19 meters) wide—and its position amid dense Midtown surroundings, which complicated logistics for material delivery and crane operations. New York City's zoning regulations mandated setbacks to allow light and air access, resulting in a required staircase-like profile that risked making the tower appear as a mirror to the adjacent building; de Portzamparc and zoning consultant Michael Parley mitigated this through innovative angular setbacks that emphasized a distinct vertical silhouette. Additional hurdles included managing reflections from the nearby Building's dark facade, addressed by specifying sandblasted panels to diffuse light. The facade's construction involved advanced fabrication of over 45,000 square feet of custom unitized curtain wall in folded and , requiring precise to achieve the building's dynamic, crystalline geometry.

Opening and subsequent developments

The LVMH Tower officially opened on December 8, 1999, with a high-profile gala event hosted by chairman . The celebration featured performances and appearances by celebrities, including fashion designers such as , , , and , as well as then-First Lady , underscoring the building's role as a landmark for luxury in . From its inception, the tower served as the North American headquarters for LVMH Moët Hennessy SE, functioning as a central hub for the conglomerate's U.S. operations across its luxury brands, including . The ground-level retail spaces, particularly for , enhanced the street's status as a premier destination for high-end shopping on 57th Street in , integrating corporate functions with flagship storefronts. Ownership of the property has remained with since its completion, with no recorded sales or transfers, supporting the company's ongoing presence in the Plaza District. As of November 2025, the tower continues to operate as a mixed-use facility with office and retail components, though has pursued minor updates to its base-level stores to align with evolving brand presentations.

Reception and legacy

Critical reviews

The LVMH Tower received widespread praise from architecture critics upon its completion in 1999 for its innovative reinterpretation of principles in a postmodern context. Herbert Muschamp, the architecture critic for , described it as "the most important building to be completed in New York in years," highlighting its faceted crystal facade that evokes a "pousse-café with changing colors" and reinvents the glamour without rote . In another review, Muschamp noted that the tower "does the skyline a great service" by reimagining through its prismatic form, which integrates seamlessly with Midtown Manhattan's luxury aesthetic. Paul Goldberger, writing in The New Yorker, echoed this enthusiasm for the exterior, calling the building a "stunning, lyrical" in glass that is "exuberantly iconoclastic" yet perfectly attuned to its urban site. He praised its sensual, folded facade for providing emotional resonance amid the grid's rigidity, positioning it as a jewel-like enhancement to the surrounding commercial landscape. Coverage in Architectural Record further commended the design's clever manipulation of New York City's zoning requirements, allowing the slender tower to maximize light and volume through angular setbacks that create a dynamic, crystalline profile. However, critiques also addressed functional shortcomings, particularly the interiors. Goldberger found the office spaces "disappointing," describing them as "dull, flat" environments that fail to match the exterior's vitality, with the elevator lobby serving as a particular letdown. He contrasted this with the "Magic Room," a three-story glass-enclosed reception area on the top floor, which he lauded as a "magnificent space" with superb proportions and panoramic views. Some observers noted the building's narrow, elongated silhouette—necessitated by its infill site—as visually precarious, though this was often framed as a bold response to contextual constraints rather than a flaw. The overall consensus among 1990s reviewers positioned the LVMH Tower as a high point in New York City's architectural revival, celebrated for its facade's visual innovation and contribution to Midtown's prestige but critiqued for lacking interior breakthroughs beyond isolated highlights. Publications like and Architectural Record underscored its role in elevating branded corporate architecture during the era.

Cultural and economic impact

The LVMH Tower exemplifies late-20th-century in through its faceted, prismatic glass facade designed by , which introduces a dynamic, jewel-like form amid the city's more rigid skyscrapers. Completed in 1999, the structure's asymmetrical stepping and etched glass panels reflect a playful yet sophisticated engagement with urban setbacks, influencing subsequent luxury developments by blending branded identity with architectural innovation. In recognition of its design excellence, the tower received a Citation of Merit from the New York Chapter in 2000. As a symbol of LVMH's global dominance in , the tower serves as the company's U.S. and has hosted exclusive events that fuse , , and , such as private parties and brand celebrations in its top-floor "Magic Room." Its location on East 57th Street has bolstered the area's evolution into a premier luxury epicenter, alongside stores for brands like and , enhancing the street's prestige as a destination for high-end retail and cultural experiences since the late . Economically, the LVMH Tower anchored the company's expansion into the U.S. market by consolidating operations and retail presence in , supporting thousands of jobs in fashion, design, and across LVMH's portfolio. It contributed to the post-1990s boom in branded architecture, paralleling investments by competitors like and in landmark properties that elevated New York's commercial landscape and drew to the luxury district. These developments have sustained economic vitality, with LVMH's ongoing real estate commitments in the area reinforcing the tower's role in driving retail and visitor spending. In 2025, the LVMH Tower remains a benchmark for in the fashion industry, maintaining its prominence as LVMH announces a nearby 25-story flagship at 1 East 57th Street, underscoring the enduring value of physical branded spaces amid digital transformations in luxury retail. This sustained investment highlights the tower's lasting place in LVMH's U.S. portfolio, with no evident decline in its strategic or symbolic importance.

References

  1. https://www.skyscrapercenter.com/building/lvmh-tower/13638
  2. https://www.propertyshark.com/mason/Property/20928/19-E-57-St-New-York-NY-10022/
  3. https://mapy.com/en/?source=osm&id=1070161891
  4. https://nypost.com/2023/03/21/luxury-goods-titan-lvmh-makes-moves-along-billionaires-row/
  5. https://www.nytimes.com/1999/12/15/arts/designing-the-nouveau-building-on-the-block.html
  6. https://archello.com/project/lvmh-tower
  7. https://www.nytimes.com/1999/06/27/arts/art-architecture-the-spirit-of-deco-rises-from-the-dead.html
  8. https://heintges.com/lvmh-tower-extension/
  9. https://images.nymag.com/nymetro/bony/features/4420
  10. https://www.nytimes.com/2001/01/23/style/IHT-dueling-designers-build-images-from-the-outside-in-architecturethe.html
  11. https://www.mapquest.com/us/new-york/lvmh-464294557
  12. https://structurae.net/en/structures/lvmh-tower
  13. https://press.tiffany.com/tiffany-co-unveils-its-newly-redesigned-new-york-city-landmark-at-57th-street-and-fifth-avenue/
  14. https://www.weekendnotes.com/bergdorf-goodman-new-york/
  15. https://gothamist.com/arts-entertainment/nostalgic-look-back-chic-history-57th-street
  16. https://www.lvmh.com/en/news-lvmh/dior-unveils-house-of-dior-new-york-french-elegance-in-the-heart-of-new-york-city
  17. https://newyorkyimby.com/2025/09/plans-revealed-for-luis-vuittons-485-foot-flagship-tower-at-1-east-57th-street-in-midtown-manhattan.html
  18. https://www.e-architect.com/new-york/lvmh-tower
  19. https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/an-architecture-lovers-guide-to-manhattans-57th-street
  20. https://nymag.com/nymetro/arts/architecture/columns/cityscape/456/
  21. https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/for-diors-refreshed-nyc-flagship-peter-marino-sought-luxury-town-house-vibes
  22. https://www.lvmh.com/news-lvmh/dior-unveils-house-of-dior-new-york-french-elegance-in-the-heart-of-new-york-city/
  23. https://www.world-architects.com/en/atelier-christian-de-portzamparc-paris/project/lvmh-tower-new-york
  24. https://www.moma.org/collection/works/168043
  25. https://www.nytimes.com/1997/07/18/nyregion/costly-gap-on-57th-st-is-the-center-of-a-dispute.html
  26. https://alchetron.com/LVMH-Tower
  27. https://www.nytimes.com/1999/11/30/style/IHT-bernard-arnaultman-behind-the-steely-mask.html
  28. https://www.facebook.com/lvmh/posts/the-lvmh-tower-was-inaugurated-on-december-8-1999-by-bernard-arnault-and-vip-gue/262073070546510/
  29. https://www.alamy.com/december-7-1999-new-york-usa-lvmh-tower-presser-in-manhattan-l-r-marc-jacobs-alexander-mcqueen-michael-kors-bernard-arnault-and-john-galliano-credit-image-andrea-renaultzuma-press-wire-image499348879.html
  30. https://www.lvmh.com/en/our-group/history
  31. https://www.nytimes.com/2003/02/19/business/commercial-real-estate-regional-market-midtown-manhattan-maker-luxury-goods.html
  32. https://www.crainsnewyork.com/real-estate/lvmh-submits-plans-build-25-story-plaza-district-manhattan-flagship
  33. https://www.archpaper.com/2024/10/louis-vuitton-new-york-flagship-luxury-luggage/
  34. https://www.nytimes.com/1999/12/26/arts/1999-year-review-arts-architecture-new-york-starts-look-beyond-its-past.html
  35. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2000/01/31/diors-new-house
  36. https://archive.org/stream/architecturalrec189senewy/architecturalrec189senewy_djvu.txt
  37. https://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2014/05/condo-towers-architecture-new-york-city
  38. https://re4a.squarespace.com/s/oculus_Dec00.pdf
  39. http://n3wy0rkc1ty.blogspot.com/2006/06/lvmh-tower_16.html
  40. https://www.lvmh.com/en/our-group/economic-impact
  41. https://therealdeal.com/weekend/style/luxe-brands-find-a-home/
  42. https://fortune.com/europe/2024/04/29/lvmh-louis-vuitton-real-estate-empires-new-york-paris-miami-design-district/
  43. https://www.timeout.com/newyork/news/louis-vuittons-famous-fifth-avenue-store-could-soon-be-a-25-story-playground-092225
Add your contribution
Related Hubs
User Avatar
No comments yet.