Our alcove within the Sogo retail centre is a meditation on Taiwan’s local geology, carving out calm within a bustling environment. The island is an evolving tapestry of resilience, shaped by millions of years of tectonic activity that continues to this day. Among its natural resources, slate stands out as a symbol of endurance—a material born of the earth’s forces, found abundantly in Taiwan’s soil. Slate has a unique, fine-grained texture, with a tendency for foliation. Its earthy hues—blue grey with twinges of mutable iron red—speak to the island’s rugged landscapes. For Aesop Sogo Chungli, our in-house architects conceived a design in which this undervalued metamorphic rock would be celebrated for its distinctive, living character.
Aesop Sogo Zhongli
Department store
Phone
Opening hours
- Monday11:00am - 9:30pm
- Tuesday11:00am - 9:30pm
- Wednesday11:00am - 9:30pm
- Thursday11:00am - 9:30pm
- Friday11:00am - 10:00pm
- Saturday11:00am - 10:00pm
- Sunday11:00am - 9:30pm
Leaving the hubbub of the mall behind, customers step into a slate sanctuary. Seeing the material’s friability as an opportunity to use a minimal amount of stone in an innovative way, delicate leaves of slate were taken from a block of stone—just as timber veneer is created from solid wood. Reinforced by a plywood framework, these thin sheets wrap around the space to form an enveloping retreat. A monolithic column occupies the centre of the room, around which a trio of basins are arranged. Customers are invited to explore our full range of products for the skin, hair, body and home, with gently flowing water if desired. Guests seeking a more intimate experience can slip behind the pillar, where the third basin is part of an individual ensuite. Here, patrons are encouraged to apply formulations directly onto their face, as if in the privacy of their own bathroom.
For those who wish to take a moment of repose, a vintage chair beckons. Underfoot, the warm brown woven carpet brings out the iron tones of the slate; above, a shard of the stone, in all its rusty glory, is hung on the wall as an artwork in its own right. We welcome all faces—new or familiar—to visit this delicate, transformative abode.