What’s in a name? If a flower shop is called Gigi Verde, adjectives like ‘exotic’, ‘sultry’ or even ‘glamorous’ instantly come to mind. Well, guess what? Its newest retail space, which opened a little while ago in Nara, is simply all that. Gigi Verde is a Kobe-based flower shop specialising in fresh rare flowers and high-quality items, operating additional branches in Tokyo, Osaka, and now, as said, also in the centre of one of Japan‘s former capital cities. Occupying a 43 sqm. (463 sq.ft.) unit on the ground floor of a newly built, six-storey residential structure, the Gigi Verde store features an interior design by architect Sohei Arao of Osaka-based architecture and design practice SIDES CORE. The building’s concrete shell and exposed ceiling featuring utility pipes form the backdrop of a swirling tiered volume which not only allows Gigi Verde to showcase its exquisite flower arrangements, but also incorporates a service counter, spacious enough for multiple florists and featuring ample storage below, and even a staircase and an elevated and somewhat secluded seating area. Concealed by a curved divider, are a private area and restroom. Both the volume and divider are plastered in a matching earth hue. © superfuture
Gigi Verde
421 Aburazaka-cho
Nara 630-8247
Telephone +81 742 553907
Wed-Sun 11am-7pm
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.
