Platinum Interior Space and Exhibition Design · 2020
EN Skincare Salon and Store
- A' Design Award 2020 Platinum Winner in Interior Space and Exhibition Design
- Awarded April 15, 2020
- CLIENT: Archiee
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 284,361
- Verification code 68B6AB585E · Verify this award
About EN Skincare Salon and Store
En Skincare is a cosmetics store and treatment salon set within an 18th-century building in central Paris. The name En means beauty in Japanese, and can also mean circle and connection. These three meanings inspired the design. A series of circular brass partitions divides 150 square meters into four rooms across two levels. Two bright plaster rooms occupy the ground floor, while the basement retains stone walls and vaulted ceilings. Visitors follow a winding path to each treatment area, reflecting the Japanese idea of hospitality through discovery.
Kinoshita's spatial intervention within this historic vaulted chamber represents a sophisticated meditation on the relationship between temporal depth and contemporary refinement, positioning the skincare experience within an architectural framework that suggests both geological permanence and alchemical transformation. The designer appears to engage deliberately with traditions of sacred and healing spaces, wherein the enveloping stone vault evokes ancient thermal baths, monastery cellars, or grotto sanctuaries where transformation and purification have historically occurred. The technical achievement lies in the precise calibration of material contrast: the rough, irregular texture of the limestone masonry with its centuries of accumulated character against the immaculate geometry and mirror-polish of the brass furniture creates a visual and tactile dialogue between nature and artifice, permanence and precision. The circular motifs recurring throughout the design, from the suspended ring lights to the cylindrical seating to the implied circles of the product vessels, establish a symbolic vocabulary of wholeness and completion that resonates with skincare's promise of renewal. The mirror's strategic placement amplifies spatial perception while introducing themes of reflection and self-examination central to beauty ritual. Product display along the lateral wall adopts museum-quality presentation principles, treating each vessel as a precious object worthy of contemplation rather than mere commercial inventory. The chromatic restraint operating within warm earth tones unified by brass accents creates an environment of enveloping warmth that suggests both the skin's own golden undertones and the precious nature of self-care practice. One might observe how the space invites visitors to pause, to inhabit a threshold between historical depth and present moment, between natural material and refined product. What transformations does this liminal space prepare us to undergo?
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- Designed for new Japanese cosmetics brand En, the store occupies of an 18th-century building in the centre of the French capital. The name "En" translates as "beauty" in Japanese, but can also mean "circle" and "connection". These three translations all inspired the design of the store. On the ground floor are two bright minimal spaces, furnished with curving brass partitions and furniture. Meanwhile the basement reveals the building's history, with exposed stone walls and a vaulted ceiling.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- The existing 150 square meter spaces were divided into 4 main rooms: 2 rooms with stone vaulted spaces in the basement and 2 rooms finished with white plaster on the ground floor. A different scale of circles is composed for each room to create a functional plan. Room1: the entrance and the boutique, Room2: the counseling and the treatment space, Room3: the hall and the massage space, Room4: the product gallery and the blending counter.
- Tags
- Skincare, brass, paris, japan
- Production Technology
- The external surfaces of the circle partitions are finished in polished brass to bring a distorted and warm reflection. This beautiful expanded space creates the feeling for the visitor step into an elegant and extraordinary world.
- Design Challenge
- Merging two history and culture, between French and Japanese. Mixing culture in a strong clear story is always a challenge. Once we could figure out this strong idea, then we believe this new story could attract the people.
- Project Duration
- Project started in December 2017 and opened to public at July 2019 in paris. 7 Rue de Condé75006 Paris
- Operation Flow
- The space cut off by the circle partitions connects all the required functions. This remaining space between the existing walls and the integrated circle partitions creates a geometrically curious form and an original circulation with an aesthetical experience. The customer cannot get into each service rooms directly, but must walk along a winding path toward the destination. This method that let the visitors walk along and enhance his expectation is typical Japanese way of hospitality, as in the traditional tea culture.
- Research
- The site has prime Parisian location, in the 6th arrondissement steps from the Jardin de Luxembourg. We preserved most of the existing structure of the 18th-century building, adding a series of circular partitions across four rooms and two levels to gently define the various functions of the space. This leans into the Japanese hospitality principal of discovery; patrons must wind through the store to find each treatment area, rather than walking into an obvious open-plan. The unusual geometric forms serve to spark curiosity in the customer, enchanting them to delve deeper into the store.
- Inspiration
- Adding a series of circular partitions across four rooms and two levels to gently define the various functions of the space. This leans into the Japanese hospitality principal of discovery; patrons must wind through the store to find each treatment area, rather than walking into an obvious open-plan. The unusual geometric forms serve to spark curiosity in the customer. The concept of ‘beauty’ by choosing golden polished brass for the circular partitions and accent pieces throughout the store.
- Image Credits
- Photography is by David Foessel
- Patents
- Photography is by David Foessel
Colors of EN Skincare Salon and Store
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Interior Design for Luxury Retail Spaces
We create exceptional interior environments that merge cultural narratives with contemporary design. Based in Paris with projects spanning globally, our studio specializes in retail spaces, salons, and commercial interiors that enchant visitors through thoughtful spatial storytelling and refined…
G0E3 ShopDesign Interview about EN Skincare Salon and Store
History of France and Japan.
To create a beautiful story of cultural mixing.
I don't know.
We found a simple concept by a discussion with everyone in the project.
I don't know.
Deep research of history.
I'm not sure.
Someone who is curious about other culture.
Depth of thought.
Is the phonetic play of Japanese word. EN means beauty, circle, and connection.
3d software.
Create the form (architecture) from historical references(archive).
Nothing particularly.
Study the history and culture.
To merge every idea to simple history telling.
coincidence.
To have a lot of responsibility.