Aesop Grabenstraße

Streamlined simplicity that diminishes boundaries between interior and exterior

The space is the second in Germany to be created in collaboration with Norwegian integrated architecture and design practice Snøhetta; it was preceded by Aesop Fasanenstraße in Berlin. In harmony with the handsome pedestrian plaza in which the store is situated – host to a variety of markets and fairs – the design subtly blurs distinctions between interior and exterior, and effects subdued contrasts of materiality and form. Blonde-hued, tiered shelving crafted from Douglas Fir curves around the walls to effect a crescent suggestive of an amphitheatre beckoning audiences; embedded downlights on the ceiling mirror its form.

This implicit extension of the plaza is amplified by a monolithic concrete sink, reminiscent of a fountain around which locals might regularly gather. Conversely, an element of the interior is continued just beyond the stone façade, where two timber benches fitted with planter boxes invite visitors to sit and linger in the shade outside.