Aesop’s complete range of skin, hair and body products is now available in the Strand Arcade, Sydney. Our new signature store complements Aesop Paddington, and is Aesop’s fifteenth store in Australia. Aesop’s Strand store is a distinctly contemporary addition to the arcade, a vision of alabaster, cooling green hues and amber glass. Aesop Director Dennis Paphitis has again collaborated with March Studio's Rodney Eggleston to fashion a space that pays heed to its local setting while making bold use of Aesop’s material du jour, porcelain. Dennis Paphitis says, ‘Our Sydney CBD store has been a long time coming, and we are gratified to see it open its doors. Our position in the arcade allows Aesop clients easy access to our products when they call in to visit the cobbler during the day.’ The clean-lined space offers a visual break from the otherwise busy arcade, showcasing Aesop’s preference for spare lines and a clean aesthetic. For the Strand store, both director and designer found inspiration in small round ceramic tiles, and in two significant pieces of furnishing. Rodney Eggleston explains: ‘the tiles, an India Mahdavi stool, and a lamp by Jaime Hayon were our starting points for design. They are all made of porcelain, a precious, timeless material, which also lines all the floors of the Strand Arcade. We wanted the design to be a modern extension of the arcade, and of course, to serve as a platform to display Aesop’s product containers.’ The opening of the Strand store is significant for Aesop, recognising as it does the importance of Sydney on the world stage.

text by March studio

Project description
design
March Studio
Used materials
White porcelain, white paint, white wash
Furniture manufacturer
Porcelain Bishop Stool by India Mahdavi
Porcelain Lamp by Jaime Hayon for Metalarte
Floor area (m2)
38 m2
Date of completion
September 2008
Photographs
MARCH studio

Aesop The Strand
Shop 20, The Strand Arcade
412-414 George Street, Sydney, Australia