Aesop SoFo

A domestic character – a living room
The character of the SoFo area in Stockholm is informal and intimate and we wanted to bring this atmosphere also in to the design of the Aesop SoFo store. The space is very small and we wanted the space to be open and inviting and like a domestic living room. Inspired by the architect Gunnar Asplunds way of using bent wood in an functionally and spatially defining way at the Woodland Cemetery chapels we choose to use wood in a 0.7 mm thin layer of veneer of that is curved to a geometry that unifies the space that was shattered by pillars and stair volumes. While shaping the room in this soft manner way we also sought the resemblance to the draped curtain of a domestic living room. As for a curtain the materiality and colour gains very tactile and subtle qualities by the play of light and shadows created by the geometry. The geometry is also formed to create situations for the product displays and a seating niche in the back and the verticality of the geometry enhances the height of the space.

Architects: Fredric Benesch, Katarina Lundeberg
Collaborator: Jack Dalla Santa, Ginevra Chieca
Carpenter: SoloSuMisura
Builder: Öhmans Bygg AB
Vase: Simon Klenell
Photo: Ludger Paffrath

www.simonklenell.com, www.aesop.com,