Aesop Utrechtsestraat

Sensual curves revitalise an historic Amsterdam sweet shop

The seventeenth-century corner building speaks a geometric language of ovals and lines; arched joinery wraps the room, recalling the locale’s past life. In dialogue with these structures, Studio Valentin Loellmann created a series of handmade timber and copper pieces that support the site’s new use.

Loellmann treats materials as living organisms—hardwood and noble metal take on soft, rounded forms that lend the store a warm, nuanced personality. A walnut window seat and counter with Belgian limestone basins accommodate product demonstrations, rest, and an expansive vista onto the street. The central table resists orthogonal lines, its surface embossed and relieved.