Aesop’s Seoul store is inspired by a Korean pavilion

In partnership with Aesop

Designed with first-time Aesop collaborator Samuso Hyojadong and located in one of northern Seoul’s oldest neighbourhoods, Aesop Seochon was inspired by jeongja, a type of traditional Korean, open-sided pavilion – a typically calming and enveloping structure often found under trees where people can come together surrounded by nature.

Challenged to express qualities such as rest, scent, and calm, Hyojadong employed minimal architectural elements and a restrained materiality. ‘People in our era are busy with their daily lives and exhausted by a lot of things,’ says the architect. ‘That's why you need to have an internal charge. For this, rest is necessary. But rest doesn't have to be at a pavilion – it can be done anytime, anywhere. No matter how busy you are, if you are in a space where you can feel comfortable, even if it's not for a long time, you can feel comforted.

‘From the simplicity of the design, the scent of Aesop released into the street, and the attitude of how staff greet customers, it is possible to find customer comfort and generate a sense of calm as you shop and experience the store,’ he continues.

The length of the Aesop Seochon store is fronted with a series of doors that fold back to create an entirely open façade, blurring the boundaries between exterior and interior and allowing visitors to transition seamlessly from street to store – just as aromas flow out unimpeded onto the pavement outside. Once closed, the woven metal backing creates a translucent surface, allowing curious passers-by to peer inside and make out the hazy silhouettes of amber bottles in regimented rows.

Anchored by natural materials, the space features a rough-edged piece of stone that acts as a display unit, its hue echoed in the granite flooring and pale walls – the latter also reminiscent of traditional Korean hanji paper, laden with texture and nostalgia. Sinks and shelves are finished with reclaimed timber and aged copper, while rosewood lines the inside of a concealed fragrance armoire housing Aesop’s full range of unconventional eaux de parfum. In this airy environment, trained consultants are on hand to recommend the products best suited to each customer’s individual needs.

The store design uses ‘ancient materials – Korean granite, copper, and metal – created by nature over millions of years’, explains Hyojadong. ‘Such true material makes human beings feel the sense of time. The same is true of landscapes. Light and shadow meeting elements of nature, adding the sense of time to the landscape.’ Over time, he says, materials at Aesop Seochon will fade and mature, telling their own story through their patina. 

Referring to the characteristics of the hanji-like walls, he adds, ‘Hanji does not change. However, like skin, hanji has a subtle transparency, so shadows are formed as if they were soaked in. So, it will come with a different feeling every moment. It's like a living creature.’

Asked what makes something quintessentially ‘Aesopian’, the architect responds: ‘It lies in being natural. Nature in Korean comes from two Chinese words for self and being so. Being like that can be interpreted in many ways, but for me it's close to “not too much, not too little”.‘

It’s a fitting summing up of Aesop Seochon, a store of perfect balance.

To celebrate the opening of the Aesop Seochon store, Wallpaper* and the brand hosted a special event, including a panel discussion between Wallpaper* contributing editor Dal Chodha and architect Samuso Hyojadong.

aesop.com 

Aesop Seochon, 36 Jahamun-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul
Open Monday – Sunday, 11am – 9pm

The Wallpaper* celebration at Aesop Seochon followed similar events at recent Aesop store openings in New York and Rome.