Danish and Japanese design sensibilities come together in Bang & Olufsen’s Ginza flagship store. The Scandinavian audiovisual brand turned to the interior expertise of DDAA to design the Tokyo shop, which is built to simulate an intimate residential space – complete with a living room, meeting room and backyard.

Bang & Olufsen sought a place for their customers to feel comfortable testing products in – one that focuses on delivering a thoughtful spatial experience to garner organic interest in the offering on display. Danish furniture built in the same era as the 1960 Ginza site and contemporary design pieces are contrasted. They are sat atop glass ‘rugs’ which expose the wiring of Bang & Olufsen’s electronics, installed in dismantled flooring.

The unique features highlight the technicality of the audiovisual products and are a nod to the historical background of the structure itself. ‘The building's renovation history, which has been overwritten since its completion, is visualized like a stratum,’ explains a spokesperson for DDAA. ‘Cables, usually hidden inside walls or floors, are carefully wired as if they were on display in a glass case.’ Touches of copper plating can be found throughout the store, for example on the hardware holding the glass in place and the cross braces which support the structure of the entrance door.

DDAA also took reference from the woodworking culture present in Denmark and Japan. To celebrate the commonalities of the two countries’ iconic craftsmanship, the designers placed a 60-year-old bonsai tree in the space. It serves as a contextual symbol of the epoch that gave birth to the Ginza building and the Danish design which now lives inside.

dskmtg.com

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