Online shopping will never lose its allure but culturally, we are at an intersection. Consumers want convenience but crave experience. This bold innovative approach to retail conceives a space for exploring and discovering hidden treasures.
For Harmay, an online cosmetics retailer Aim Architecture delved into the online/offline duality of the brand even further and explore the dynamics of modern consumption. This Modern day boutique meets old-school apothecary. It offers visitors the unexpected elevation of shopping and the callbacks and comforts of the digital age convenience.
Walking in, stainless steel drawers lined walls, giving the space an orderly and calming shopping experience. It is not even about shopping, but instead, it’s about discovery. Subtle signage guides guests to open drawers, revealing the products inside.
Walking up towards the second floor, space is left untouched, as found. It is rough and even raw to the senses, immersing guests in the tactile experience of traditional shopping.
Here stainless steel mirrored cabinets are suspended from the ceiling; reflective surfaces hide their existence. The found space, they engage in a powerful dialogue creating an intimacy with the products, placing them straight into the hands of our shoppers.
Hong Kong is notoriously cramped, but despite its smallness, the two floors spatially connected through the omnipresent rough brick walls, concrete ceilings and the continuous floor creating an unanticipated and spacious illusion.
The powder room echo’s this, with its glass wall, guests might second guess its function, but then a well-placed curtain creates playful privacy, leaving just feet exposed.