Turkish fragrance brand ParfumLab was only founded in 2021, and develops fragrance formulas for personal use and for homes through scientific precision, olfactory research and advanced laboratory techniques. Since its inception, the Istanbul-based company has rolled out an ever-expanding network of branded shops across its sprawling hometown and nationwide. Very recently, ParfumLab opened a fourth retail space in Istanbul, and this time, at Emaar Square Mall on the Asian side of the city. Occupying a lofty unit on Floor -3 of the shopping centre, the design, dubbed PNEUMA Flagship Store, has been created by local multi-disciplinary design practice TUNK. Interestingly, the chosen aesthetic is inspired by pneumatic tube networks in healthcare buildings, putting the meandering forms front and centre. Spawning from this concept, the design practice worked meticulously with local metal and glass workshops, from design through prototyping to production, developing processes collaboratively. Taking centre stage is an elongated and playfully multi-level display covered in no less than 600 stainless steel tiles.

The volume comes with a surgical lighting structure that’s carried by an intricate metal pipe network rising into the ceiling. Operating like a weave, this pipe network connects the space while also creating zones for the perfume formulas, structuring the store through a single continuous system. The vertical cylinder suggests a node within a larger infrastructure circulating between floors. The kinetic installation makes pneumatic circulation visible by moving perfume bottles through the pipes with small motors. One side of the retail space sees floor-to-ceiling storage and display space crafted from blue frosted plexiglass, and with an angled section at its centre. Opposite, wall-mounted shelving units present additional ParfumLab merchandise, while offering a visual interplay with meandering glass pipes. The design aims to trigger shoppers, inciting them to explore the products on offer, and last but not least, an elevated shopping experience. The new ParfumLab store stocks the full range of perfumes and home fragrances. © superfuture