Our objective was to strengthen the inherent qualities of the 1930’s structure along the Avenue des Champs Elysees and in parallel establish it’s singular presence as the “Louis Vuitton Building”. The challenge was how to effect change on a historically listed building where changes were not permitted. Having recognized that 70% of the building façade’s surface was composed of windows, the solution to architecturally unify and brand the building came about by creating a 2nd façade layer behind the large glass areas. Inspired by the wrought iron balustrades ubiquitous on Parisian Haussmann facades CARBONDALE suspended an open metallic skin abstracted from the LV’s signature monogram pattern behind all the façade window openings. Washed with natural and artificial light the skin wrapping serves to amalgamate the new and the old architecture into a shimmering Architectural package.