Snøhetta for Aesop

Inspired by Orchard Road’s original incarnation as a nutmeg plantation, in Singapore, Snøhetta created an upside-down forest combining brass, wood and warm colours.

Situated just off the Orchard Road boulevard – the retail and entertainment hub of Singapore – Snøhetta designed the new Aesop ION shop. The interiors commemorate Orchard Road’s original incarnation as a nutmeg plantation. Inspired by its obscured past and underground location, Snøhetta created an upside-down forest using a sensitive assemblage of materials, colors and forms.

Snøhetta, Aesop store in Orchard Road, Singapore, 2016 — Snøhetta, Aesop ION store in Orchard Road, Singapore, 2016

A dark ceiling references the orchard floor, complemented by sisal carpet in the same rich tone. Thin timber battens hang from the ceiling, forming walls that curve throughout the space like three trunks in a grove. Selected central battens are suspended with horizontal branches fixed to the stems acting as product displays.

The walls are pink, reminiscent of the color of mace, the other spice harvested from the nutmeg fruit, while a connection with the nearby Aesop Raffles City is established through the use of brass in functional elements such as the sales counter and sink: the metal’s luster is enhanced by overhead lighting.