In another collab with designer John Randolph, the Australian cosmetics brand also opened up shop downtown. As always, the shop interior here has a story to tell, referencing the city’s natural surroundings and the history of Burnside street – its location – as a crucial thoroughfare in the 19th century for lumber heading to port, and for lumbermen heading to and from the town’s rowdy saloons.

Obviously, the legacy of the local timber industry inspired extensive use of locally sourced in the store’s design, but it has been charred using Sho Sugi Ban, an ancient Japanese technique of burning timber to acquire a silver-black patina that provides a shield against age, pests and elements. The product display wall references both the natural axis of Burnside and the sawtooth pitch of the logger’s steel saw blade. Another eye-catcher is a revamped antique iron sink in the back of the store. The new Aesop store in downtown Portland carries the brand’s full range of skin, body and hair care products.

http://superfuture.com/supernews/portland-aesop-store-opening-24974