ArchShowcase Sumit Singhal
Sumit Singhal loves modern architecture. He comes from a family of builders who have built more than 20 projects in the last ten years near Delhi in India. He has recently started writing about the architectural projects that catch his imagination. Max Mara Flagship Boutique Aoyama in Tokyo, Japan by Duccio Grassi ArchitectsSeptember 10th, 2018 by Sumit Singhal
Article source: Duccio Grassi Architects DUCCIO GRASSI ARCHITECTS had renewed and transformed the spaces of the MAX MARA flagship store of Tokyo, in the exclusive area of Aoyama. In a corner position between Aoyama-Dori and Kotto-Dori, this space of over 400 square meters has one impressive facade and great visibility. The exterior of the building, covered in pink granite and characterized by two large columns has been completely redesigned and made more current and consistent with the values of the brand. The design of this exterior has taken up the challenge of maintaining a unitary aspect without entering in conflict with the upper part of the building in which it is inserted in. The windows have been eliminated, the lower windows modified or closed, the columns incorporated in the new colored glass greige coating.
The façade is simpler and stronger, communicating energy and dynamism towards the center of the building itself, where the entrance is located, dominated by a large LED wall. The game of volumes inside allows you to see the first floor facing cantilever double height on the entrance, while the rooms on the ground floor amaze because of their great height. The ground floor is designed as a large open space where large volumes become almost sculptures: the study of materials and light plays a role of primary importance in creation of contrasts and in the volumetric composition. The main material is light wood: with its simplicity it makes the environment at the same time bright and welcoming. The staircase leading to the upper floor is exalted in its dynamic form and its materials thanks to the contrast between burnished metal and light wood, becoming a strong element characterization. The first floor unlike the ground floor, is conceived as a succession of multiple environments intimate and collected delimited by volumes and furnishings: in these more private rooms there are more exclusive Max Mara collections. In particular, the VIP area is enclosed within a sculptural volume that appears suspended between the two levels, whose materiality is enhanced by the contrast with the soft and warm colors predominant in the store: the metal mix that covers it is composed of two handcrafted materials, treated and etched in a different way, combined with a few inserts in platinum glass that give preciousness and uniqueness. This important store makes the Japanese capital a fundamental step in evolution of the Max Mara concept, a process that keeps brand recognition strong but without ever repeating. Traditional materials, now iconic and part of the brand identity are expertly. Contact Duccio Grassi Architects
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