Aesop 1Utama

Designed in collaboration with FARM studio, our store in 1 Utama explores the possibilities of galvanised corrugated metal sheets, harking back to the nineteenth-century Malaysian tin trade. Densely stacked sheets, supported by hidden metal rods and spacers, form a fine-grained shelving system—the varying corrugations emerge, in profile, as an undulating pattern. A shelf protrudes from the façade, evoking the haphazard order of the metal yard. Inside, the horizontally stacked sheets form dramatic volumes for product display and visitors’ seating. Cast concrete acts as a counterpoint—vertically ribbed walls mirror the furrowed tin; two rectangular counters float between rows of shelving. The basin and test product display are set into the concrete as indented corrugations. This simplicity of materials communicates gratitude towards our Kuala Lumpur customers.