Aesop Lyon

Aesop’s second signature store in Lyon’s Place de la République establishes a bold contrast with its historic surroundings. Unlike the brand’s first Lyon location, which was compact and intimate, this space is expansive, suffused with natural light and soaring ceilings. Belgian studio Nicolas Schuybroek Architects approached the building with a philosophy of restraint: preserving its masonry core and architectural identity while introducing contemporary interventions sparingly.

The design highlights the dialogue between past and present, allowing visitors to experience both the weight of history and the openness of a modern retail environment. Every proportion, from the height of windows to the scale of circulation, is calibrated to create a sense of balance between monumentality and intimacy.

Materials define the space in surprising, poetic ways. The ceiling remains clad in untouched fire-resistant foam, a sculptural and functional nod to the building’s previous life, while the walls are lined with wool felt, chosen for its tactile softness and acoustic qualities. Freestanding elements throughout the store, including counters and a central basin wrapped in locally sourced tin, reference Lyon’s fountains and public water features. Rather than remaining static, these materials are designed to evolve over time: the tin will develop a patina, and the wool will acquire subtle marks of daily interaction, embedding the passage of time into the fabric of the store. The layering of textures – soft, hard, matte, and reflective – creates a sensory richness that feels carefully curated yet spontaneous.

Aesop’s approach to retail design emphasizes local context and thoughtful integration with the city fabric. Each store embodies the brand’s identity while responding uniquely to its surroundings. In Lyon, this manifests in subtle gestures: the careful orientation of product displays, the selection of tactile materials, and the interplay between light and shadow that shifts throughout the day. Minimalist shelving and the iconic apothecary-style bottles anchor the experience visually, but it is the interaction of space, objects, and ambient qualities that defines the brand’s presence. The result is a store that is both recognizably Aesop and deeply rooted in the character of Lyon itself.

Nicolas Schuybroek’s signature approach – quiet, precise, and attentive to detail – permeates the project. His design process is grounded in respect for context, craft, and proportion, allowing the space to feel deliberate yet alive. Beyond aesthetics, Schuybroek emphasizes the importance of human experience: creating moments of pause, sightlines that encourage exploration, and spatial rhythms that respond to natural light and movement. The store embodies his belief that architecture is as much about presence and stillness as it is about form, resulting in a retail environment that is functional, poetic, and capable of evolving gracefully over time.