In order to limit the variety of the materials used, the shelves and counter are finished in blackened steel, which is also the basis for storage doors assimilated into the mortar wall or mirror wall; the basin that is Aesop’s feature is set near the entrance to effect a good view from the passage.
Given the site constrains; the design seeks every opportunity to maximize the store frontage while allowing visibility to penetrate deep into the store from the public space.
Walls have been left in a pseudo-dilapidated and exposed state, showing even messages that employees scribbled on them, while an expanse of tiled flooring adds further character to the retail space.
The design for the Aesop Signature Store at Cityplaza, Hong Kong is based on simplifying and maximizing product display and product storage within the site context of a mixed used residential and commercial development.
The design uses a palette of ivory and soft sea green while a black-tiled countertop reiterates the retail space’s utilitarian aesthetic and recasts the modest tile in a scientific manner. European oak has been used for the shelves and flooring, and offer a warm contrast.
Reclaimed timber boxes are piled up to the ceiling to create a wall of shelves at the new San Francisco store for skin and haircare brand Aesop.
O’Brien Jr. inventively recast several characteristic historic design elements and paired these with new and reclaimed antique white oak, used for flooring and strikingly articulated shelves.
Amidst a minimalist setting, designed by architecture practice Gonzalez Haase, of whitewashed walls, alternated by a middle section in a soft green hue, and wooden shelves and flooring, MDC Cosmetic offers not only top cosmetics but also a compatible and diverse range of high-end lifestyle products, such as silver soap dishes, tarot cards and diet supplements.
The storage shelves and counter are also crafted from bleached wood, and are matched by leather-wrapped flooring. A wall-suspended brass basin and a Louis Poulsen light fixture in a similar material heighten the artisanal vibe of the retail space.
An interesting store with big ambitions emerged in Seoul’s happening retail scene. Called 1984, the store has its roots in publishing and its name is obviously derived from George Orwell’s ominous yet iconic novel.
At Aesop Shin-Marunouchi, the OSB has been stained with a brown colour to distinguish the store with its neighbours within the bright surrounding environment. The central band of display seen stretched across the back wall binds the store space to a single point of focus, naturally drawing customers towards the products.
Aesop arrives in Geneva, opening its second store in Switzerland. Located in the very heart of this diplomatic, financial and scientific hub, architect Rodney Eggleston of Melbourne-based design practice March Studio crafted a retail space that references these hallmarks.
Isetan has launched the Isetan Haneda store at Haneda Airport’s Terminal 1 departure lounge. Measuring a spacious 850 sqm., it’s divided in four themed sections that feature a matching range of merchandise and services.
Naturally aged timber from Chinese boats are reconfigured for an installation at the Aesop shop located in Lane Crawford, Hong Kong by Chinese/German architecture firm Cheungvogl. The planks, left in their original state, are made into two floating cabinets.
Aesop store by Russell & George, Claremont
To celebrate its 25th anniversary, Aesop has added a brand new flagship in downtown Melbourne to its stellar range of stores. Designed in collaboration with Kerstin Thompson Architects, the shop design takes cues from next door’s Athenaeum Club, a posh meeting place for gents from a bygone era.
Hot on the heels of the opening up shop in Southwark, the newest Aesop store opens its doors in the bustling Soho area. This time the australian cosmetics brand has collaborated with Ciguë, the paris-based architecture + design practice which also collaborated on the pop-up shop at Merci and the Marais Boutique.
Hong Kong-based Cheungvogl Architects created an installation for beauty brand Aesop which was on display within Hong Kong’s I.T Hysan One flagship store. The commission was a continuation of the company’s reputation for presenting their product in architecturally remarkable retail spaces.
A quaint storefront in Ginza, Japan has been transformed into ‘Aesop Ginza’, a beauty retail shop by japanese practice Schemata Architecture Office. The original masonry facade and stairway for the upper level tenants was retained and carried into the interior of the 38 square meter space, integrating the material into the product display shelves.
Designed by local architect Jeremy Barbour, he adopted the same solution as when he created Aesop’s Grand Central Station kiosk, constructing the wall displays and counter out of re-purposed editions of the New York Times.
