Aesop Lyon Place de la Republique

The high ceiling is covered in untouched fire-resistant foam—a cloud-like mass rarely left visible in retail settings, but kept intact for both practicality and as a nod to past functions . Below, the room is lined with wool felt, whose softness and sound-absorbing qualities add warmth and domesticity to the otherwise cool-toned space . These walls will undergo subtle changes over the life of the store, their tufted surfaces inevitably taking on slight scratches, blemishes and other marks of the passage of time. A series of freestanding elements evokes Lyon’s numerous fountains: a small sink for intimate consultations, wood-veneered counters, and a large central basin wrapped in local tin that will develop a distinctive patina over the years.