// Y I Y I N T A Y
“Singapore is taking shower all the time and its not bothering us.”
Singapore’s climate is classified as tropical rainforest climate, characterized by high humidity, lots of sun and abundant rainfall; so it is almost always warm and wet.
The perception of this project is viewed from both inside-out and outside-in, engaging with the environment and weather in Singapore and the presence of “rain”, by visual, sound, or feeling.
02
CITY IN THE RAIN
February 2016
rain
ripple
L O C A T I O N
Orchard Central is a cluster concept shopping mall located in Orchard Road, a long boulevard of retail and entertaintment hub for both locals and tourists. Commisioned by Aesop, an international brand to set up a flagship store in Orchard Cenral @ Orchard Road, the store is to potray the brands identity through planning, layout, materials and so on. Speaking to the local character and community, Aesop store is designed to reflect the context of the shop's surroundings using mostly local materials.
J U I C E B A R
There is a close linkage between inner and outer body care; healthy eating habits and lifestyle are necessery for inner beauty to radiate into outer beauty. Externally, one should wash and apply safe and nuturing cosmetics; internal cleansing is developed through eating foods, virtue and balancing life habits.
SOPHISTICATED
SIMPLICITY
“We advocate the use of our products as part of a balanced life
that includes a healthy diet, sensible exercise, and a
regular dose of stimulating literature”.
D E S I G N
The design is the physical manifestation of Aesop's philosophy and creation for sensory stimulation conveyed through sight, touch, smell hear and taste. The double storey store primarily houses the main retail area, a juice bar together with a herb garden that compliments and enhances the entire experience.
A B O U T
Established in Melbourne in 1987, Aesop is a modern beauty brand that exhibits philosophical sensitivity and cultural intelligence to promote health, vitality and a holistic lifestyle. Their objective has always been to formulate skin, hair and body care products of the finest quality using plant-based and laboratory-made ingredients.
I D E N T I T Y
The brand itself potrays as timeless, minimal, and oozes sophistication. Aesop utilises primarily neutral colours throughout their branding – black, off-white, brown, beige and olive green, which reflects the mostly botanical origins of their products.
MOOD
The movement of raindrops are translated through the thin, linear supports of the shelvings and lightings, hanging from the ceiling. Arranged in a seemingly random manner, shelving length and height of gaps are customised according to product sizes.
The form of ripples are translated using stacked steps, creating a walkway with variating heights which catogerizes the area for a few product ranges like hair, body, facial, etc. This allows the customer to tour around the store easily.
By using botanical and culinary elements in Aesop products, beverages served in the Juice Bar help detoxifying the body. The proposed juice bar aims to educate consumers on benefits of consuming raw juice and wearing Aesop product as a whole in the pursuit of a healthy lifestyle inside out. A secondary herb garden located the balcony is extended into the juice bar where fresh herbs are used in the drinks served at the bar.
Visitors are first welcomed by a full height water curtain at the store front. Besides giving the physical appearance of rain, the falling water that hits onto the stone pebbles on the floor creates a soft splashing sound similar to a rainfall. The few ambiguous entrances creates the experince for visitors to feel as if they have to walk pass the rain into the store, but in fact, they don't get wet.
01 water curtain
02 level 1 front entrance/exit
03 lounge
04 back of house
05 level 1 retail
06 sink
07 pos counter
08 level 1 back entrance
09 juice bar 1
10 outdoor lounge
11 herb garden
12 juice bar 2
13 pos counter
14 level 2 retail
15 level 2 entrance/exit
16 water curtain
floor plan 1
floor plan 2
floor plan 3
LEGEND
elevation A
elevation B
elevation C
section A
section B
One of the prominent features in Aesop store is the sink and product testing area, hence white marble with contrasting black steel sink accesories were used.
Concrete floor and pebbles gives texture and rawness to the space along with indoor plants. Shelvings were made of thin pieces of natural wood, supported by black steel rods hanging from the ceiling, which gives a sense of lightness; as if products were leviatating on air.
To give the store a simplistic, sophisticated yet "raw" look, materials like natural stones, concrete, wood and plants were used throughout the store, emphasizes on natural beauty and authenticity of materials.
rain & ripple