. Dieter, who worked with fellow designers Wolfgang Mairinger, Jürgen Gaiser, Angela Kreutz and Anja Pangerl, said ‘yin and Yang’ was the main source of inspiration throughout the process. The 230sqm store is located in Central Square Mall, on 5th Avenue at Bonifacio Global City, a private city community in the heart of Manila. Dieter Blocher says shoppers at the new store immediately grasp the symbolism, the clear classification scheme and the sophisticated contrast of light and dark. “The intentionally restrained design of the shop’s facade with its prominently placed decoration point is defined by transparency. One can see into the shop from outside, just as one can see outside from within; people standing outside are enticed to enter into the realms of the shop, where the polarity of yin and yang come alive,” he explains. “Take the ceiling, for example: it is divided into two distinct fields mediated by an elegantly curved, essentially moderating ceiling recess.” Two worlds of color and shape, he explains, provide two spheres that contradict and complement each other, and emerge in the space itself. “Only in the interplay of these contrasts does a harmonious whole emerge. While the dark, mysterious yin area is reserved for make-up items, in the bright yellow yang area a wide range of care products is shown to its best advantage.” For example, the yang sector is dominated by round, organic, softer shapes. Everything seems light, airy, playful. This is embodied in the images designed by the sister creative agency Blocher Blocher View, which deliver modernity through their abstraction: Warbling birds, delicate blossoms and lush floral vines decorate the walls where the bright red of hearts and kisses stands out. In the yin area, in contrast, matte shades, muted, cubic structures and clear lines create a classy ambience. Besides the yin-yang motif, another factor characterises the shop design. It starts with the name itself – Beauty Bar – which inspired the experts of the Blocher Blocher Partners Group to create a meeting point for friends, a fun location for events. “The multifunctional, freestanding counter is a visible expression of this concept. Here, there are several make-up stools; people meet; intensive expert consultations can be carried out. But this is also where the cashier is located, behind which a monitor set in the wall provides customers with information,” explains Dieter Blocher. One major design challenge was to integrate the many different cosmetics brands with their differing product ranges in a uniform spatial pattern. “Our experts’ convincing solution: a consistent concept for wall niches and furniture in the center of the space, generating a harmonious image overall and enabling the highlighted display of specific items. Brand logos positioned prominently, photos staged in light boxes, or comprehensible product arrangements guarantee clarity without overly standardising the presentations.” Dieter Blocher says these integration strategies express an important principle of the overall design: The elementary categories of yin and yang are interwoven and inseparable. “The shop does not divide into two opposing units; instead, it is composed of two intertwining parts. This is also supported by the uniform floor design.”