As previously said, Azabudai Hills are Tokyo‘s newest upscale shopping grounds, and it’s clear to see why. Embedded in a new prestigious mixed-used complex which pairs residences with retail set amidst beautifully landscaped grounds. Azabudai Hills has a similar allure as Roppongi Hills and Omotesando Hills, two other leading shopping hubs in the city, and that’s because it has been built by Mori Building Co., the very same property company. Already well-established in the Japanese capital’s retail landscape with ten boutiques and shop-in-shops, Officine Universelle Buly sees room for expansion and occupies a standalone structure that’s slightly reminiscent of Forum Les Halles, a late 1970s shopping complex in Paris.
However, the interior of the retail space, created by quirky co-founder Ramdane Touhami and the brand’s affiliated design company Art Recherche Industrie, offers a stark contrast that’s playfully immersed in classic references. Ornate sideboards adorned with sculpted arches and mascarons with carved lion heads demarcate a large part of the retail space and are paired with travertin floors with ebony cabochions. Mind you, the furnishings have been varnished with shellacs, as required by traditional carpentry, lending it an artisanal edge. The columns in enfilade are with ‘balustres’, a nod to the famous balustrades and other ornamented balustrades that grace the staircases of the Opéra Garnier in Paris and the King’s bedroom in the Palace of Versailles. The filigree display cabinets form semi-circular arches, a reverence to Romanesque art. The glass cabinets reveal the curiosities of the apothecary—combs, brushes and care products.
The ceiling offers yet another contrast as it features a clear brushed steel finish. The encapsulated shop section, which feels like a sumptuous private boudoir, features a horseshoe-shaped counter of black Barbençon marble. Glass pediments recall the multiplicity of references and the universality of origins. Opposite, visible from outside the Officine Universelle Buly store, sits another counter where perfumes can be smelled through alembics. The wooden cabinets feature a whimsical gradation that transforms Empire green into an earthy Sienna tone, signalling a distortion of the image-time according to Touhami. The new Officine Universelle Buly store stocks the full range of fragrances, body, skin and hair care products, and grooming essentials. © superfuture.com
Officine Universelle Buly
Azabudai Hills, 1-2-4 Azabudai, Garden Plaza C
Tokyo 106-0041
Telephone +81 3 55455512
Daily 11am-8pm
Publishers Note
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