Our dwelling within the Mitsukoshi Mall in downtown Taipei draws inspiration from the duality of the city’s dense architecture and the surrounding nature reserves where volcanoes abound. Two extruded trapezoids—our counters—appear to swallow the building’s pillars, paying homage to the cantilevered structures that maximise room on the floors above a tight urban ground level. Panels of sandblasted glass in glacier blue set the backdrop for a space reminiscent of a scientific laboratory, harking back to our earliest design tendencies.
The white ceramic tiles that create subtle grids on Taipei’s domestic façades are reimagined for this store: stone tiles with milky glazing coat the surface of the two benchtops. Underfoot, unglazed volcanic stone contributes a certain groundedness and texture to an otherwise streamlined aesthetic. At the trio of basins, customers can immerse themselves in our formulations and aromas for the skin, hair, body and home, while dexterous consultants can offer advice about products best suited to individual needs.