aesop tokyo and yokohama shops japan by torafu architects

aesop tokyo and yokahama shops japan by torafu architects all photos by takumi ota

japanese studio torafu architects has designed shops in tokyo and yokohama, japan for australian skincare brand aesop. within both retail outlets OSB (oriented strand board) has been utilized as the primary construction material, stained and treated differently to suit their selected site. the front of each compact store features a point of sale counter along with a tester bar arranged in such a way that they allow for easy customer flow as well as comfortable client consultations. all products are displayed along the back and side walls of both spaces.

in aesop shin-marunouchi, the OSB counters and walls have been stained brown to emphasize the material’s texture

the aesop shin-marunouchi site is in a shopping mall situated in the business district at tokyo station. located within an area of brightly lit skincare and cosmetic stores, torafu architects decided to stain the worktop units with a deep brown in order to highlight the texture of the OSB and to provide a contrast to the light, airy space.

aerial view of the tester bar used for client consultations

all of the aesop products are displayed along the side and back walls of the retail space

aesop shin-marunouchi storefront

aesop yokohama bay quarter

aesop yokohama bay quarter is a more casual environment which invites customers to linger. here the OSB has been stained white, accentuating the pattern and texture of the material in use and complimenting the green tones used throughout the rest of the space.

the point of sale counter and tester bar are located at the foreground of the shop

3/4 view

aesop yokohama bay quarter storefront