The initial Aesop store in Seoul‘s gilded Garosu-gil shopping zone may have closed, but a new design-led retail space has taken its place. Situated only two blocks away, the store occupies a prominent location on bustling Apgujeong-ro, one of the neighbourhood’s main thoroughfares, and sees an entirely new structure and interior design by Hong Kong-based architecture practice MLKK. The building’s façade is a nod to the first store location, pairing blackened steel and grey limestone which lend it a robust presence despite its modest dimensions. Five rectilinear apertures with tinted glazing arrange themselves abstractly—a slender peep window frames unexpected glimpses into the space and an angled brise soleil of cement fins both enhances shadows and diffuses daylight into the interior.
Around the corner, a set-back, steel portal gives makes up the store entrance. Steel I-beams create an internal scaffold around which the monolithic granite basin is oriented. The granite, sourced locally and also lining the sales counter and wash basins, celebrates South Korea‘s culinary heritage. The settings are framed by exposed ceilings, dipped in a matching grey hue, and polished concrete flooring. The stairwell has a skylight to provide light, and it’s constructed in such a way that even in the winter season the sunlight can easily permeate the premises. The roof garden is planted with pink muhly grass and offers shoppers a tranquil refuge from the bustle of the city. The new Aesop store carries the brand’s full range of skin, hair and body care products.
Aesop
546-8 Sinsa-dong (Garosu-gil)
06029 Seoul
Telephone: +82 2 5121987
Daily 11-9
Publishers Note
Just to be clear – superfuture® is a design blog and not a political commentator. No surprise there. The scope of our content has always been global and borderless, however that can often mean covering projects in countries where we will not agree with the politics or actions of those countries. In a world that’s as screwed up as ever right now, the focus of our support is to those designers, architects and other creatives who aim to make the world a more liveable one – as opposed to people that try their hardest to destroy it. So if a project hits our desk and we like it based on its design credentials, we may choose to publish regardless of its location or creators nationality. superfuture® has always been inclusive and hopes for all current wars, aggression, violence, hate and extremism to end.
