Hasta La Ideas

Australian firm Henry Wilson Studio has transformed a former Sydney bakery into a retail space for skincare brand Aesop, exposing the original sandstone walls (+ slideshow).

Henry Wilson Studio removed the space’s former fit out, revealing the stone walls, fireplaces and previously hidden doorways.

Designer Henry Wilson told Dezeen the brief was quite open, and they tried to retain and expose as much of the existing building as possible in an attempt to reference the history of the area and of the building.

“My self-assigned brief and discussions with founder Dennis Paphitis were about reworking ‘off the shelf’ components [that are] Australian-made wherever possible,” Wilson explained.

“Before Aesop took over the space it was a bakery,” he added. “Prior to that, locals in the area tell me that it was once one of Balmain’s first pubs and even a brothel at some point.”

The designers chose a pale colour palette for the interior to compliment the yellow of the original sandstone walls and make the most of the natural light that floods in from the street front and rear windows.

“The stone walls are typical for buildings of the area, and of that era,” said Wilson. “Sydney sandstone is unique in its yellow colour and grey veins. It’s soft and easy to work and the evidence of the primitive tools and unskilled labour can be seen in all the original blockwork.”

A series of industrial metal shelving units have been added to display Aesop’s products and line one wall of the store. Smaller versions are used elsewhere, with some of the shelves replaced by sheets of bottle green glass.

A row of sinks and mirrors are set against the opposite wall, along with the cash register which is also fixed on top of a newer slab of locally-sourced sandstone.

Hanging plant baskets, cane furniture and exposed copper pipes also feature in the interior.

This branch joins a long list of unique Aesop stores completed by various architects and designers. Dezeen spoke to the brand’s founder Dennis Paphitis about why no two stores are of the same design in an exclusive interview.

Here’s a project description from Henry Wilson Studio:

Aesop Balmain

The concept for the design of the Balmain Aesop store came from an understanding of the suburb, the existing materials and the context of the address. The aim was to present a space that was as familiar and utilitarian as the backyard shed, with a contrast that is the sophistication of the Aesop product and brand.

The history of Balmain and the neighbouring Cockatoo island is one of work, grit and industry. Much of this has moved on now, though, the legacy still resides in the buildings and foreshore.

The design of the Aesop store draws from these materials, colours and shapes. Removing the former fit out revealed raw sandstone walls, fireplaces and hidden doorways which have been retained and exposed as reference to this building history and place.

Detailing of the Balmain store centred around durability both visually and physically.’Off the shelf’ industrial components presented in an alternative way than that of their original purpose, provide solutions for interior fittings such as shelving and sink frames.

This ‘reworking’ extends to the vintage furniture and customised lighting. Tinted concrete terrazzo references the foyers of apartment buildings built in Sydney in the middle of the century. Pale Australian timbers and a light colour pallet has been chosen to emphasise the natural light from both directions.

The post Henry Wilson Studio converts former bakery
into Sydney Aesop store appeared first on Dezeen.

Australian skincare company Aesop has opened a new signature store in Hong Kong that features shelving made from blackened steel, plus sinks made of oak and copper.

Designed by Aesop‘s in-house design team, the store’s pared-back theme is intended to contrast with the busy antiques shops that it sits alongside on Hollywood Road in the city’s central district.

The designers said they used the neutral colour of pale oak to create “an immersive sense of calm,” while raw materials such as steel, oak and oxidised copper attempt to create an industrial aesthetic.

Shelves made from oak beams set into blackened steel frames line one wall to display the brand’s distinctive brown glass bottles. On the opposite wall, brass garden taps are mounted over large copper sinks.

A treatment room where customers can consult Aesop’s staff for advice about the products is concealed behind a screen at the back of the store, which contains a wooden sink and drawers behind a metal mesh cupboard door.

Aesop ensures that no two store are alike. Founder Dennis Paphitis told Dezeen that he was “horrified at the thought of a soulless chain” and that he believes there is “a direct correlation between interesting, captivating store spaces and customer traffic within a store”.

The post Aesop’s Hollywood Road store features
pale oak, copper and blackened steel appeared first on Dezeen.

Metal pipes and lightbulbs previously used on squid fishing boats are used to make a sculptural light that hangs from a double-height space in the centre of this Aesop skincare store in Kyoto (+ slideshow).

The refurbished interior by Torafu Architects for Australian brand Aesop reuses lightbulbs originally utilised at sea to attract squid.

“By utilising the height of the vaulted ceiling, we hung squid fishing boat pendant lights like a mobile and filled the space with light,” said the architects.

Aesop Kawaramachi comprises a narrow 3.2-metre-wide retail space with exposed concrete walls, roughly covered with white paint along the top and bottom of the ground floor.

Products are displayed on shelves made from textured grey board that are hung next to turquoise sinks.

Alow bench lines the right side of the store and a counter sits in the middle of the space below the cluster of lights.

A staircase at the rear leads to a first-floor gallery space, which overlooks the front of the store and the lighting feature.

This is the studio’s fourth collaboration with Aesop in Japan. Torafu Architects also designed Aesop Shin-Marunouchi, Aesop Yokohama Bay Quarter and Aesop Shibuya. Each Aesop store differs and in an interview with Aesop founder Dennis Paphitis, he told Dezeen that he was “horrified at the thought of a soulless chain”.

Photography is by Takumi Ota.

Here is some more information from the architects:

Aesop Kawaramachi

For Australian skin care brand Aesop, we planned the interior and exterior of the new store in Kawaramachi, Kyoto. The store is located on the 1st floor of a building on a busy shopping street. A narrow 3.2m width, 19.7m depth with a spatial height of 6.2m vaulted ceiling.

We approached the project by making the most out of the original building structure with the addition of careful alteration. We brought functional part of the store compactly to the narrow space by the entrance, the back space will be a hospitality area consisting of sizeable counter and long bench, where customer can relax.

By utilising the height of the vaulted ceiling, we hung squid fishing boat pendant lights like a mobile and filled the space with light. As you go upstairs, you will find the 2nd floor as a gallery space, providing opportunity for customers to meet new people.

Flexible board, used for the product shelf is made unburnable and has texture of mortar, taking advantage of its original unique feature. Together with the porous Ōya stone used for flooring, it provides a soft, natural palette that lends a pervasive sense of calm from the moment of entry.

For the façade, we covered entirely with flexible board, using interior elements, such as accent green colour and squid fishing boat lamp, in order for people to realise continuity in space, letting the store stand out even in the colourful shopping street.

Due to the location on the busy street where many travellers and locals come by, our store design is aimed to blend as part of new Kyoto culture by providing casual yet cosy store space.

Principle use: SHOP
Facility design: ENDO-Lighting, maxray (Lightings)
Production: &S
Credit: Graphics: Aesop
Site area: Kawaramachi, Kyoto
Total floor area: 86m2
Design period: 2013.09-2013.11
Construction period: 2013.11-12

The post Aesop Kawaramachi by Torafu Architects
features squid fishing lamps appeared first on Dezeen.

Skincare brand Aesop‘s latest shop in Marylebone, London, by architects Studio KO features shelves that reference ladders used to collect fruit.

Paris and London-based architects Studio KO designed the Aesop store on Marylebone High Street, stripping back the interior of the former maternity clothing store to expose original features.

“All the existing fabric was hidden behind linings, plater boards and shop fittings,” Studio KO partner Clemence Pirajean told Dezeen. “One needed much imagination to see it as rough as it is today.”

Renovation work inside the building revealed hidden windows, a fireplace and coal store. These were all kept to preserve the original footprint.

Products are presented on white-washed pear wood shelves inspired by fruit collectors’ ladders, which line the exposed brick walls coloured in a musk tone.

“The existing floorboards are retained, restored and sealed,” said Pirajean. “One plank is missing with a mysterious green moss growing through.”

A cast concrete sink sits near the entrance beneath three black pendant lamps that match the facade.

Aesop designs each of its stores so no two are the same. When we interviewed the brand’s founder Dennis Paphitis told us that he was “horrified at the thought of a soulless chain”. The most recent designs we featured include the Berlin Mitte shop lined with emerald-coloured tiles and a pop-up shop in Tokyo where wooden chairs were piled on top of one another to create the shelves.

Photography is by Dan Glasser.

Here’s some more information that Studio KO sent to us:

The property sits in between two very contrasting urban scenes: to the front, a beautifully animated Marylebone High Street and to the back, a quiet mews with paving stones and little brick houses.

The back ‘courtyard’ echoes the English countryside, which was not too far from central London a little while ago.

With a window to the back courtyard and a large vitrine to the front high street, the store acts as a link between these two scenes. The initial idea was to allow those two different worlds enter the space from both points, creating a continuity and emphasising on the transparency.

We used the vegetation as a strong conceptual element from the beginning: we liked the idea of ferns or wild vegetation growing through the cracks of old walls. In the end, the idea of robust ferns was retained, with various sizes and species.

All the architectural existing elements where brought back to life: restored and maintained forming an integral part of the design. Once the plasterwork and the dry linings are removed, traces of history appear: a former fireplace, a coal store, remains of old rooms/crevices. All elements bringing complexity to the volume.

Then comes the monochrome: a super-matte colour extracted from the smoky clay colours surrounding the store. A matte powder of foggy red was sprayed onto the textured walls and ceilings, revealing bubbles and irregularities of plaster.

The existing floorboards are retained, restored and sealed. One plank is missing with a mysterious green moss growing through.

Shelving units, made from white-washed scaffold wood, were designed for displaying the Aesop products. Inspired from fruit ladders, simply leaning against the painted bricks, utilitarian looking. Looking closer, one can see the detail of a very honest fixing system, partly adjustable, with timber rods supporting the shelves, and a timber hinged front face preventing products from falling out.

The point of sale refers to the honest construction of a palette, using planks of white wash scaffold boards, cross layered with end-grain planks. A former fireplace is retained, framed using wrought iron to emphasise its depth and shade.

The long basin in rough cast concrete, complete with oversized taps and exposed pipes resembles a water drinking trough. It sits against the staircase leading to the basement, encased between reclaimed brick walls.

The wrought iron hatches above, with their Georgian wire glass inserts, use the language of a greenhouse. The black painted façade and outdoor elements frame the interior view of the store. The abstraction and simplicity contrasts with the richness of the colour and the textures.

The post Aesop Marylebone shop interior
by Studio KO appeared first on Dezeen.

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