Notes of Concrete

The interior walls express the desired connection to compressed soil and are created through experimental, yet highly effective, custom layer-poured concrete panels. Like many of the design elements, the treatment conveys a calculated rawness alongside punk details like pyramid stud-lined shelves. A cast-in-place concrete island informs the flow of users around the store and above the central counter, a ceramic chandelier adds a touch of biophilic whimsy with eight outstretched rounded arms that are capped by globe lights. At the rear of the store, a recessed “peep show window” offers a voyeuristic view of how fragrances are developed, all amid an edgy club-like glow.

Before the renovation, the existing space had an entry door and a small storefront window separated by a column, but to create a deep connection to the site and neighborhood, the opening was expanded by removing the column and adding a structural lintel. The new storefront features an accordion glass door that can be completely opened to the sidewalk blurring the lines between inside and outside, store and urban terrain.

Much like the fragrances created by the client and showcased by the project’s design, the interior interventions are harmoniously blended to produce an experience that pays homage to nature through a contemporary and urban lens.