Japanese menswear brand Takeo Kikuchi has opened a store which aims to stand out from the crowd with its unique interior architecture.
The three storey flagship in Shibuya was designed by Schemata Architects. One of the unique features of this store is the absence of cash register counters, which Schemata says is aimed to encourage person-to-person communication between staff and customers.
“We eliminated cash register counters, which would normally strongly dominate space in typical stores, and encourage direct communication for more joyful shopping experiences,” said the company.
The store has four entrances located along the street, enabling customers to enter from various points and freely stroll around the space. In this store, operable wood frame windows were embedded in the glass facade to let natural air flow inside.
“We questioned the fact that most shops and offices are enclosed without natural ventilation throughout the year and usually heavily air-conditioned in summer and winter,” explained the architecture firm.
Generally, glass facades reflect the light and street views and clearly divide exterior and interior spaces. But by inserting wood frame windows, the exterior and interior spaces were connected both visually and physically.
The store intends to lure customers inside through its ‘soft and loose boundary’ like a forest. It features three spatial layers – outside of the facade, interior space, and garden at the back. Different elements were applied to each layer to create sub-layers; benches along the facade, big and small wooden boxes on the first and second floors, and plants in the garden.
The display furniture were randomly fitted across the space to let customers freely move around and enjoy experience according to his/her taste and mood.
“We didn’t want to set a singular circulation route, and we prepared multiple circulation routes as if the streets are extending into the store,” the designers said.
Wooden boxes were used to divide spaces instead of fixed partitions. Some of the furniture are consist mostly of steel while others are made of wood. All are designed without repeating the same rules or stories.
“Our intension is to provide various viewpoints so that customers can participate in the space in multiple ways.”
Extraordinary things were fitted such as shelves in the atelier made from a combination of old and new parts of wood shelves.
Old Windsor chairs were thoroughly sanded to get rid of polish and to reveal natural a wood surface. Cabinet doors were lined with leather, concrete walls were soft-patterned and soft-shaped benches on the outside were made of concrete using fabric mold.
“Our idea is to invert the old and the new, and they would eventually merge into each other to create something different. In the same way, we would like to redefine softness and hardness,” said Schemata Architects.
The store also features a cafe on the third floor were customers can sit, relax and take time to contemplate what products would suit their styles best.
“There are so many clothing stores in Shibuya, and we intend to make difference by creating a store where customers can comfortably shop and stay for a long time.”
Takeo Kikuchi offers a wide range of men’s clothes from casual to formal for customers across a wide range from 20s to 50s.
Schemata Architects was founded in 1998 and is currently led by its president Jo Nagasaka.
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