Schemata: Descente Blanc

The project for the new Descente Blanc store, designed by Schemata Architects in Tokyo, incorporates an automatic lifting stock-display system hidden in the ceiling.

Schemata Architects: Descente Blanc Marunouchi

This is the fourth shop designed by Schemata for the apparel brand Descente Blanc in Japan, located in Shin Marunouchi Building, and its second in-shop after their shop at Expo City in Osaka.

The characteristic difference from the Osaka shop is that the entire design of Shin Marunouchi Building is very authentic. The design concept for the Descente Blanc series is to redesign the movement of shop staff to go to get stocks and incorporate automatic lifting stock stock-display systems in the ceiling. After the existing ceiling was removed, the ceiling plenum was exposed and the existing finishes above and below the removed ceiling created a sharp contrast, implying an “imaginary” ceiling plane there.

In order to highlight this distinctive feature, we designed the overhead stock space in the plenum space where clothes are stored closely under the ceiling, resembling an aircraft hangar. Hanger pipes are leveled so that hems of the clothes align with the “imaginary” ceiling plane, and the ceiling lights are also installed at the same level to emphasize the effect.