The 2,300-sq-ft Louis Vuitton store located in Saks on Fifth Avenue in New York is currently being renovated by J. Tucci Construction of Bayside, New York and is scheduled to re-open this November.

The store which was constructed in 2003 is being renovated because of its low ceilings due to an old elevator system with a complex steel infrastructure. J. Tucci has set up a temporary store for Louis Vuitton to operate in while removing the old elevator system and adding in a new dumbwaiter as well as removing the concrete wall behind the storefront windows to allow for more open space. The construction team is also installing custom-built light fixtures, millwork and solid teak flooring.

The team has been faced with a few challenges thus far including tight deadlines, difficult delivery regulations and specialized building materials that have long lead times. As a result, J. Tucci is working very closely with Gertler & Wente Architects of New York and the millworker in order to bypass these challenges.

“Going behind the typical coordination for a construction project, we are able to achieve extremely tight tolerances and precision fitting with a diversity of materials and construction elements,” said Larry Martin, architect at Gertler & Wente.