“The Beauty that Lies Beneath” “Beautiful People”, a Japanese fashion atelier based in Tokyo. Since their debut at Paris fashion week, they have broadened their activities and this is their second free standing store in Tokyo, Shibuya Parco, an iconic shopping destination leading the Japanese youth culture opened in Nov 2019. Every day, and in every place of the world, we see new buildings and stores being built, and in every site, there are numerous construction materials used one after another. Steel is used to framework walls which protect the entire construction frame, then fireproof boards are compounded, applying wall putty, then finished with paint to give the walls and ceilings a distinctive look and texture. There is beauty in this process of construction and detail, however, simultaneously a feeling of anticipation; making something new means destroying something old, as many numerous materials are used, in the end they are also all meant to be disposed. This cycle of “scrap and build” is becoming ever faster especially in a place like Tokyo where we are undergoing consistent rapid change. In the period of high economic growth, it is for certain that this industrial revolution has made our lives evermore abundant, however, maybe too excessive. For that reason, our concept was to re-think the obvious, the obvious idea of designing, the obvious process of construction which we believe is a crucial dilemma, at the same time an innovation, a step to creating new values and adapting to what is occurring in our world. Therefore, we put a spotlight on the materials that are usually hidden by the decorative layers of polish and use the “raw” materials as is, fully utilizing the potential of the character it genuinely holds. The representative material is the “LGS (Lightweight Gauge Steel)”, a well-known material normally used in the framing systems throughout the interior / exterior wall structure. By placing these LGS side by side matching the pattern direction and not in the usual scale with intervals, we created a unique expression of partitions for the fitting and stock room which are key components for a retail store. The normal 4 steps of processes (LGS, Fireproof Boards, Wall Putty, Paint finish) were reduced to just 1, resulting in both time and cost efficiency. In addition, this material has no front or back so just one layer is all it needs; in other words, an ultimate functional material. Furthermore, these LGS are only screwed together, therefore, they can be easily disassembled, which means completely reusable / recyclable for its next journey and life cycle, rescuing from becoming an industrial waste. We also created fixtures from layering fireproof gypsum boards, organically combined electric wire covered in vinyl resin and a heat insulation material Styrofoam to make a stool, and displayed mannequins made from fiber reinforced plastic. These groundwork “raw” materials are traditionally not a leading role, however, by shining a light on these “hidden” materials and paying attention to every component and crafting details as well as the true beauty and potential it holds, I believe opens up infinite and sustainable possibilities to the world of interior design. Rather than decorating the space with layers of material we are bound to destroy, our design concept is to simply use just the first layer and seek the beauty that lies beneath what we see.