Contrary to popular belief, we do venture outside the usual metropolises in search of hidden architectural gems. One such recce in Japan's Chiba prefecture revealed this revolutionary branch of Jin's Global Standard opticians, tucked away in a corner of Nagareyama's Otakanomori shopping centre. Designed by Ryuji Nakamura, the retail space is divided into a series of meandering passageways created by diagonal wall partitions.
While theatrical, the space retains a quiet consideration for its patrons: shallow shelves running along the corridors are a novel way of displaying quirky, statement-making frames of Jin's own design and from Paul Frank, Eye Eye Denmark and Booth & Bruce, while mirrors intermittently hung on the walls allow customers to try things on easily. Well worth the trip.
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