Few corners in Hong Kong see as many people pass by as the junction of Pedder Street and Des Voeux Road Central. Lately, many of them have slowed down, phones in hand.
The Louis Vuitton flagship at LANDMARK has disappeared behind a giant trunk, dressed in the brown Monogram canvas the maison has used for well over a century. Trams still rattle past, but the building now looks like luggage waiting for a very large traveller.
A Trunk Built To Scale
Up close, the details are surprisingly faithful to the real thing. Rows of gold rivets run along every edge, and the corners are protected by polished brass caps engraved with the Louis Vuitton name.
Huge clasps and locks sit on each side, while a long leather handle is fixed to one of the facades. Along the edges, a band of repeated LV letters copies the trim found on the brand’s classic hard-sided cases.
High on one side, a small label reads 中環站, or Central Station. It is the first hint of the travel story running through the whole design.
A Station Hall In Disguise
Above the trunk, a curved roof rises like the lid of a dome-top case, framing a tall arched window with a round clock at its centre. Two more arched windows open onto the street below, giving the building the look of a grand old railway terminal.
After dark, thin lines of white light trace the outline of the trunk, and the windows glow soft pink, turning the whole corner into a lantern.
A Train Waiting At The Platform
Walk under the arcade at street level and you reach the platform. A deep green carriage, striped with brass, stretches along the pavement, with “1re Classe” painted near its door.
Its windows are screens showing city skylines, so the train seems to be travelling while standing still. Along its side runs the line “Malletier, Maison fondée en 1854”, a reminder that Louis Vuitton started out making trunks for travellers in Paris.
The installation is part of a series that has already appeared in Paris, New York and Shanghai, and it also teases the brand’s new flagship at LANDMARK, expected to be unveiled later.
A Passport To Explore Central
The trunk is also the centrepiece of Destination CENTRAL, a district-wide programme by LANDMARK. Visitors can pick up a Central Passport, shaped like a vintage suitcase, to ride the tram for free and collect stamps around the neighbourhood.
3 stamps can be exchanged for rewards, including up to 66,000 Asia Miles, while more than 40 partners offer dining privileges.
Discover more about Destination CENTRAL on the LANDMARK website.
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