The second incarnation of Aesop Sapporo Stellar Place is a meditation on reuse. Designed with longstanding collaborator Hugo Haas, the original store’s materials are reinterpreted into a serene space of soft grey Sapporo Nanseki stone, mined in the city’s South Ward—the residue of a volcano that erupted 40,000 years ago—and Japanese timber salvaged from deconstructed houses in Hokkaido. The one new material that was introduced, stainless steel, was employed for its water resistance in wet areas and for its strength in a reversible fixation system that allows for future reuse of the stone panels. Learning from the difficulties of prizing glued stone away from the walls of the original Sapporo store, we resolved to not use any glue in the construction of this incarnation.
Aesop Sapporo Stellar Place
Signature store
Phone
Opening hours
- Monday10:00am - 9:00pm
- Tuesday10:00am - 9:00pm
- Wednesday10:00am - 9:00pm
- Thursday10:00am - 9:00pm
- Friday10:00am - 9:00pm
- Saturday10:00am - 9:00pm
- Sunday10:00am - 9:00pm
Each element of the store’s functional layout was conceived as modular furniture that can be moved and altered as needs evolve. Inspired by the fittings of typical general stores seen in the Historical Village of Hokkaido open-air museum, a rigorous, repetitive timber framework becomes the internal scaffolding for experimentation and adaptation. At the central workbench, with its quartet of inset basins, customers can explore our full range of formulations for the skin, hair, body and home.
A tucked-away individual basin with a mirror offers visitors the opportunity to apply products directly onto their face, as if at home.
For those who wish to rest awhile, a bench made from reclaimed timber fragments and solid blocks of Sapporo Nanseki stone offers ample support. From here, customers or passersby can contemplate their selection of Aesop formulations and the lifecycle of nonconformist retail architecture.