Traditional Nagaya row houses (a form of Japanese architecture) have been disappearing from the streets of urban Japan over the last few decades. Built as a practical, short-term solution in response to a high-density population, they are now being replaced with residential constructs catering to the modern-day city dweller.
Aesop’s arrival in the city of Kanazawa brings with it the beauty brand’s long-standing passion for channelling local culture through design. In collaboration with Fukoka-based interior architecture practice Case-Real, a new Aesop outlet now finds itself housed inside a former Nagaya style home, which has been remodelled in respect of its original domestic function.
Several years prior, the house was broken down due to unavoidable circumstances. Household appliances were fitted upstairs, relegating the original ground-floor space to a storehouse role. Case-Real and Aesop were keen to bring elements of the former home back to life, and so looked to the original floorplan with a retail eye to define the new store.
A number of structural changes were made to improve flow and circulation. Many of the pre-existing interior walls were removed, most notably a dividing wall that ran the length of the ground floor. Following removal, a central sink was inserted, now orbited by points of sale, and a new sparsely furnished lounge. Case-Real also considered the home’s outside-in tori-niwa floor in the renovation, using cement emboss-brushed by straw to generate a similar visual experience.
Meanwhile, original interior structural support remained, providing inspiration for the store’s colour palette. New fixtures and fittings are awash in dark-toned wood, complimented by a deep, rich beige colour palette throughout.
A mindful affair, the Kanazawa store showcases the quiet side of the Australian beauty giant. Case Real's considered design propels this disappearing form of Japanese architecture into the present.
INFORMATION
For more information, visit the Aesop website
ADDRESS
1 Chome-17-9 Higashiyama
Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture 920-0831
Japan
-
In Shanghai, Hermès conjures a ‘cosmopolitan explorer’ for its one-off show on the Huangpu RiverNadège Vanhée, artistic director of Hermès’ womenswear collections, presented ‘The Second Chapter’ of her A/W 2025 collection earlier this evening (13 June 2025) against the futuristic skyline of Shanghai
-
Out of office: the Wallpaper* editors’ picks of the weekIt was a jam-packed week for the Wallpaper* staff, entailing furniture, tech and music launches and lots of good food – from afternoon tea to omakase
-
Peugeot brings back a classic performance badge for the electric era: meet the E-208 GTiPeugeot has unveiled the new E-208 GTi, a performance EV designed to hark back to a golden age of compact sports cars
-
A Karuizawa house is a soothing, work-from-home retreat in JapanTakeshi Hirobe Architects play with scale and space, creating a tranquil residence in which to live and work
-
Naoshima New Museum of Art is a home for Asian art, and a lasting legacy, in Seto Inland SeaThe Naoshima New Museum of Art opens, marking a seminal addition to the Japanese island's renowned Benesse Art Site Naoshima; we explore Tadao Ando's design
-
Behind a contemporary veil, this Kyoto house has tradition at its coreDesigned by Apollo Architects & Associates, a Kyoto house in Uji City is split into a series of courtyards, adding a sense of wellbeing to its residential environment
-
Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa on harmony, nature and their RIBA gongThe SANAA duo are celebrating their RIBA Royal Gold Medal 2025 in London today, and talked to us about self-reflection, the year ahead, and the need to create harmony in our environment
-
New book 'I-IN' brings together Japanese heritage and minimalist architecture at its finestJapanese architecture studio I-IN flaunts its expert command of 21st-century minimalism in a new book by Frame Publishers
-
Giant rings! Timber futurism! It’s the Osaka Expo 2025The Osaka Expo 2025 opens its microcosm of experimental architecture, futuristic innovations and optimistic spirit; welcome to our pick of the global event’s design trends and highlights
-
2025 Expo Osaka: Ireland is having a moment in JapanAt 2025 Expo Osaka, a new sculpture for the Irish pavilion brings together two nations for a harmonious dialogue between place and time, material and form
-
Tour the brutalist Ginza Sony Park, Tokyo's newest urban hubGinza Sony Park opens in all its brutalist glory, the tech giant’s new building that is designed to embrace the public, offering exhibitions and freely accessible space
