Aaesop’s First Store in São Paulo

Paulo Mendes da Rocha and Metro Associated Architects teamed up to design Aesop's first outpost in Latin America store, pairing exposed concrete with handmade tiles. The interior of the Aesop store in São Paulo was designed in a collaborative effort between Brazilian architect and winner of both the Pritzker and Mies van der Rohe prizes, Paulo Mendes da Rocha and local studio Metro Associated Architects.

A wavy concrete countertop used as a product-testing area wraps around a structural column in the center of the shop, which is largely open plan aside from a small storeroom to the rear. The polished concrete counter and three small concrete plinths contrast with the pale pastel-toned floor, which is made from encaustic tiles, produced by hand using different colors of clay. The tiles are more common in domestic spaces and are especially popular in Barcelona residences.

The store sits on the corner of a block on Oscar Freire Street, a high-end shopping street named after the doctor responsible for developing the Brazilian city's first mortuary. The brand's medicinal-style bottles are displayed on the three short cylindrical plinths in the front. The cast-concrete podiums are speckled by the air bubbles trapped during the casting process, giving them a rugged appearance. Further products are lined up on shelving against a mirrored wall that helps to create the illusion of greater space.

source:dezeen.com