AESOP OBERDORFSTRASSE
ZÜRICH | SWITZERLAND | 2008
“The construction site is reimagined, where reclaimed materials hover in suspension and curiosity transforms hesitation into encounter.”
This project marked our first international store for Aesop and an opportunity to present the Australian brand on a global stage through a distinct architectural statement. Central to the approach was a commitment to context rather than replication, ensuring each store responds directly to its surroundings.
On Oberdorfstrasse in Zurich, the design adopts a deliberately raw and unadorned character, shaped by the city’s culture of precision, order and material reuse. Observing the immaculate nature of local construction sites, we repurposed the ubiquitous yellow hoarding boards found across Zurich, transforming them into the primary material of the interior. This strategy aligns with a broader ethos of reuse, echoing practices of local brands such as Freitag, where disparate materials are reassembled into new forms.
The existing tenancy presented two contrasting conditions: a long, compressed main floor and a tall, narrow display window. To amplify these qualities, the hoarding panels are suspended from a system of steel tubes, allowing the interior to read as a hovering volume that never quite touches the ground. Products are presented at eye level, immediately engaging the visitor upon entry.
Initially mistaken for a space still under construction, the store invited hesitation from passersby. That uncertainty quickly gave way to curiosity, as the interior revealed itself as both familiar and unexpected, a construction site reimagined as a place of encounter.
-
RETAIL
-
COMPLETE | 2008
-
ZÜRICH | SWITZERLAND
-
PETER BENNETTS