Aesop Daimaru Shinsaibashi

Aesop Daimaru Shinsaibashi inherits the neogothic architectural legacy of W.M. Vories, who designed the original incarnation of the retail centre in 1933. Vories’s architectural designs often featured octagonal elements that may have been symbols for resurrection. The store, designed by Case-Real, picks up on this form: a wide façade opens onto a monolithic, octagonal granite basin that is anchored by an octagonal column of the same material. Black walnut cabinetry wraps the room’s faceted walls, which cradle the geometric forms. A timber seat nestles into the façade’s corner, providing a place for contemplation; a mottled copper font protrudes from the back wall.