Following a string of consecutive openings in Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka, Australian cosmetics brand Aesop sets up shop in Fukuoka. The southern Japanese city has historically been an important place for international trade, spawning an open-mindedness among locals that – and we’re pretty sure about that – boosts an above average interest in nifty products. for its first location in the city, Aesop picked Amu Plaza Hakata, a prominent shopping mall embedded in the massive Hakata railway station building. Tucked away on the sixth floor, the store features an interior created by architect Shinichiro Ogata of Tokyo-based archtecture practice Simplicity.

The aesthetic is inspired by the Hakata neighbourhood’s heritage as a base for diplomacy and trade, and its stature to this day as an international commercial hub. Walls are in a subtly shimmering golden hue, and reference the city’s splendour and prosperity of a bygone era. An assemblage of architectonically stacked timber boxes references the trading culture, and appears as if a historic tableau; and the setting is complemented by discreet, streamlined lighting. The new Aesop store carries the brand’s full range of skin, body and hair care products.

Design: Simplicity / Shinichiro Ogata

via Superfuture