Skincare brand Aesop‘s first store in Hainan Island, China, was designed to evoke an underwater cave and features oculi decorated with an algae-based film.
Located within the Haitang Bay Duty Free Shopping Complex in Sanya on Hainan Island, the new store was designed by Aesop‘s in-house team and draws inspiration from the ocean.
“The space is articulated by the compression and expansion of massive proportions, a strong datum, and enormous ceiling oculi that make one feel as if they were immersed in a deep ocean cave, looking up at the wavering light,” the brand said.
Curved lines frame the entrance of the store, transporting customers into a more intimate space from the open shopping complex. A round niche was designed to reference the porthole of a submarine, in another nod to deep-ocean environments.
Algae inspired the design of the store, and the material was also used to create lighting installations suspended from the two ceiling oculi, which were designed to resemble underwater cave entrances.
The larger of the two oculi contains 2,000 aluminium panels coated in an algae-based bioplastic. This hangs above a large display table equipped with a series of brass basins at the centre of the store.
The algae-based bioplastic was developed by Jessie French, an experimental artist and designer based in Melbourne, Australia, whose design studio Other Matter explores the application of new materials as alternatives to petrochemical-based plastics.
French developed a proprietary formulation for the new material, which incorporates an algae-derived polymer and locally milled pigments.
It aims to offer a sustainable alternative to conventional petrochemical surfaces such as acrylic, vinyl and resin.
The semi-transparent algal surface adds to the slight mirroring of the illuminated aluminium panels, which cast flickering reflections onto the walls and floor throughout the store.
According to French, the algae-based bioplastics manage to preserve the organic matter of the natural algae while maintaining its biodegradability.
It adheres to smooth substrates without adhesives, enabling it to be removed intact for repositioning or to be melted and reshaped into new forms for reuse.
A four-metre-tall circular pillar at the front of Aesop Hainan was also covered with the same material, in a pattern that resembles the movement of ocean waves.
The sealed finish was designed for permanent use and cast directly onto the pillar, then fixed with an organic sealant.
“The rapidly changing nature of retail interiors easily generates a large amount of excess material and landfill waste, which also becomes a crucial expression of brands’ philosophy,” said French.
“Balancing design language and environmental responsibility requires designers to consider the impact of each design material throughout its entire life cycle on the environment and public health.”
Display shelves and seating areas in the store are arranged around the central table and along the curved perimeter of the space, which is lit up by amber light.
Further inside the store, a personalisation room for bespoke customer service holds two basins facing each other with a long built-in-bench placed in between.
Round mirrors above the basins, framed in gold paint, echo the two oculi in the main room.
“We aim to engage all senses of our customers. Our goal is not just to create beautiful visuals, but to focus on the overall experience of the space,” said Marianne Lardilleux, global retail design director at Aesop.
Earlier this year, Aesop collaborated with French during Melbourne Design Week, creating four installations across the brand’s four retail stores in the city, applying the algae-based bioplastic decals to shop windows instead of PVC.
Other recently unveiled Aesop stores include a Madrid branch arranged around cast-iron columns and a new store at historic Leeds arcade that referenced Victorian bathroom design.
The photography is courtesy of Aesop.
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