Berlin is the latest city to enjoy the innovative design of an Aesop store and benefit from the world class products first developed in Melbourne in 1987. Berlin architectural firm, Weiss-heiten was asked to design the first signature store in Germany and has transformed an early twentieth-century dairy located on Alte Schönhauser Street in Berlin, Mitte into an emerald wonderland.

The palette of greens used in the interior pays homage to the colour studies and monochromatic canvases of Gerhard Richter, the pre-eminent German visual artist and one of the pioneers of the New European Painting of the second half of the twentieth century.

As is the practice with all Aesop developments the aesthetic of the interiors is site and city specific; each Aesop store is different, the style of clean lines and hard materials is a given, but there is always a little of the host city in every design.

Weiss-heiten has incorporated the character of Berlin in their design contrasting the old with the new with the use of concrete and steel to enhance the original structure. Handmade raw concrete tiles coloured green and grey-green cover the floors and walls and German oak have been used to create an edgy space that is both practical and comfortable.

Alberto Franco Flores, Lead Architect of Weiss–heiten explains, “Our aim was to create a space that combines the clarity of industrial atmosphere with the strength of historical materials, presented with ease and patina.”

The practice Weiss-heiten was founded in Berlin in 2006 by Birgit Hölzer and Tobias Kohlhaas, and is a multi-disciplinary team that incorporates visual communication, interior design and architecture.

Other pre-eminent architects and designers who have designed stores for Aesop are Russell and George, March Studio, Kerstin Thompson Architects, Cigue and Studio KO.

www.weiss-heiten.eu
www.aesop.com