High-end retail has had a very late start in the Netherlands. For a long time, luxury stores were virtually non-existent in Amsterdam, but now, two decades on, the Dutch capital has emerged as the leading shopping destination in the Benelux region. However, Rotterdam, the country’s second biggest city, is lagging far behind, and only just now it’s discovering its retail potential. As of late, Aesop has arrived in town, opening a standalone store in the increasingly popular Meent shopping artery. Occupying a 78 sqm. (840 sq.ft.) unit on the ground floor of an early 1950s residential building with a brick façade, the store features an interior design by Sebastian Cox, a fine-furniture maker based in London. Interestingly, the craftsman has taken cues from an antique door that was unusual in the exaggerated tolerances between its frame and its four timber panels, allowing for the swelling or shrinking of the timber to have minimal effect on its function.
This notion of emphasising the space between elements became the guiding principle for the store. A large limestone volume with three sinks sits at the centre of the Aesop retail space and flanked on both sides by recessed shelving and storage cabinets in cherry timber, a material which extends all the way to the back of the premises where a sales counter in limestone can be found. A cherry timber staircase leads to the mezzanine floor where a semi-secluded ensuite space is located. Here, shoppers are can apply skin care formulations directly onto their face, as if in the privacy of their own bathroom. The upstairs setting sees one side clad in timber as a backdrop for yet another, albeit smaller, sink. Seating comprises a carefully sourced vintage sofa. The new Aesop store stocks the brand’s full range face, body and hair care products, in addition to fragrances and home products. © superfuture
Aesop
Meent 50 (Centrum)
3011JM Rotterdam
Telephone +31 10 2283040
Mon-Sat 10am-6pm
Sun 11am-6pm
Publishers Note
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