Aesop Pitt Street is a minimalist storefront located in Sydney, Australia, designed by Snøhetta. Located in the heart of Sydney’s central business district, Snøhetta has designed Aesop’s largest store to date. In the middle of this busy cosmopolitan shopping area, along the pedestrianized section of Pitt Street, the design of Aesop’s store intends to slow down the pace of passersby, encourage browsing, and draw attention to the contrasting textures and materials of the surrounding buildings. Aesop Pitt Street is a result of the spirit of Sydney infused in the ambience and mission of Aesop, which includes creating honest products to be sold in shops which reflect the context of their locations, communities and environments. The Interior space of Aesop Pitt Street is tranquil and peaceful, leaving visitors with a feeling of serenity and reassurance.

Responding to the energy of the downtown area, the store’s entrance, clad in textured granite, is set back from the street and provides a moment to decompress and transition into the space, metaphorically bringing the coastal calm into the busy city center. A robust and durable material palette of stone, brass metal and concrete balances a sense of monumentality and intimacy. Inspired by the monolithic scale and texture of a stone quarry, the room appears to be composed of solid granite. Despite sandstone being the prevailing local geology, granite, an igneous rock known for its strength and durability, lines the pavements of Sydney’s central business district, where Aesop Sydney is located, which resembles a strong connection between Sydney and Aesop.

Photography is by Benjamin Hosking