The design of the Louis Vuitton foundation was inspired by the 19th century glasshouses that previously dotted the Jardin d’Acclimatation, a landmark garden and children’s amusement park founded by Napoléon III in Paris in 1860. The 46m-high abstract structure resembles a cloud, a chrysalis or a sailing ship and is designed to blend into the natural surroundings of the park.

The complex structural design called for exact specifications and details of its different elements such as the curved sails and the iceberg’s surfaces. To facilitate this, a digital model of the structure was created using Digital Project software developed by Gehry Technologies for high-performance scalable 3D modelling.

The 3D model allowed for close collaboration between the design and engineering teams and scope for improvement of the working method during the construction phase.