Principle use: SHOP
Production: AGO construction, Karimoku Furniture
Credit: Lighting Design: BRANCH LIGHTING DESIGN
Building site: Minami-Aoyama, Tokyo
Total floor area: 105.38m2
Design period: 2024.3-2024.8
Construction period: 2024.7-2024.8
Photo: Courtesy of Aesop, Norihito Yamauchi
Website:http://www.aesop.com/
For the Australian skincare brand Aesop, we planned the interior and exterior of the new street-level store
located in Minami-Aoyama, Tokyo. The site is a corner lot of the ground floor of a two-story commercial
building with a distinctive brick façade, with a narrow space measuring 4.5 meters in width and 22.5 meters in depth.
Minami-Aoyama is known for its high-end commercial facilities, yet stepping into the alleyway reveals post-war modern housing complexes, reminiscently referred to as vintage apartments, allowing the coexistence of commercial and residential spaces. Embracing the low-rise scale of the site and the ample natural light pouring through the windows, we decided to create a home-like space, cozy and comforting. Drawing inspiration from domestic wooden furniture from the 1960s and 70s, the shelves, tables and cabinets are free-standing, positioned away from the textured walls. To be environmentally conscious, we chose to not use drywall and instead exposed the original concreate structure. Crafted from Japanese pine wood, the furniture shows its distinctive knots with curved edges and meticulous details. The pieces rest on thick, rounded legs that add a human quality. Pine develops a warm patina over time, enhancing its charm with age.
The floor is covered with soft woven sisal and the existing structural walls and ceilings are painted in a
matching color to create a cohesive store space. The slightly recessed area at the back of our narrow site
includes the POS counter and en-suite sink, designed to feel more private and intimate. Benches, Fragrance
Armoire, and the en-suite sink shelf are finished in aluminum, introducing a counterpoint to the predominant wood and accentuating an interplay of materials to balance the overall space. Lighting includes a floor lamp and pendant light as accents, while the ceiling lighting is calibrated at minimal to make most of the natural light. Uplights are installed on the two upper rails imparting not only depth and visual interest but warmth throughout the store, enriching the store’s ambience.
The aim was to create a store environment with a residential feel, offering a tranquil escape from the city’s hustle and bustle.
