Aesop ION

Situated just off the bustling thoroughfare of Orchard Road, the Snøhetta designed Aesop ION opened on May 12 2016.

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. 

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. Exposed walls are pink, reminiscent of the color of mace, the other spice harvested from the nutmeg fruit. 

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 enhanced by overhead lighting.