Aesop ION
Inspired by an obscured past
2015–2016
Introduction
Situated just off the bustling thoroughfare of Orchard Road, the interior of Aesop ION commemorates Orchard Road's original incarnation as a nutmeg plantation. Inspired by its obscured past and underground location, Snøhetta has created an upside-down forest using a sensitive assemblage of materials, colors, and forms.
Technical details
Aesop
A dark ceiling references the orchard floor, complemented by sisal carpet in the same rich tone. Thin timber battens hang from the ceiling, forming walls that curve throughout the space like three trunks in a grove. Selected central battens are suspended with horizontal ‘branches’ fixed to the stems acting as product displays. Exposed walls are pink, reminiscent of the color of mace, the other spice harvested from the nutmeg fruit.
A connection with the nearby Aesop Raffles City is established through the use of brass in functional elements such as the sales counter and sink – the metal’s luster enhanced by overhead lighting.
Other Aesop stores designed by Snøhetta include Aesop Prinsens gate (Oslo), Aesop Homansbyen (Oslo), Aesop Grabenstraße (Düsseldorf), Aesop Fasanenstraße (Berlin), Aesop Raffles City (Singapore), Aesop Pitt Street (Sydney) and Aesop Duke of York Square (London).
Photos: Wai Kay Photography