This is a retail shop in a shopping mall near Sapporo Station in Hokkaido for rebranding of “rim of jins”, a special business style by the eyewear brand JINS, targeted at fashionable and trendy people mainly in their 20s and 30s.

For the rebranding, the client had seemingly contradictory concepts: ‘a space where you can be yourself and be natural, but also feel extraordinary and special at the same time’, ‘a sophisticated but not intimidating atmosphere’, etc.

We focused on how to make these two contradictory elements work together, and designed a retail shop by organising and applying clear rules on which materials should be applied on where.

Firstly, two familiar materials - warm wood and white plaster as a canvas - were used in distinctly different areas on the flat and vertical surfaces respectively. In this way, the space could gain refined atmosphere with a certain tension as well as a sense of familiarity.

As a local production and consumption activity, we used plywood made of thinned birch wood from Hokkaido. By consuming products produced within the region, carbon dioxide emissions during transport are reduced, contributing to environmentally friendly production and consumption activities.

And the plywood boards are cut in strips and laminated together showing the beautiful cross-sections of them to be used for display surfaces. This special detail of using a common material such as plywood in an unusual way, gives a touch of Japanese traditional craftmanship on a base of casual daily life.

The spacious layout with a bench and large full-length mirrors not only let customers enjoy trying glasses and take their time in making their selections, but also helps to present a slice of the cozy and relaxing lifestyle that is part of the new brand's image.

In this project, by giving rules to common materials and their combinations, a good tension is created in harmony, achieving a familiar yet unique presence. As stated in the new brand message 'Wear new me.', we proposed a new shop design in which contrasting concepts coexist as a place where you can find both what is uniquely you now and the new you you want to be in the future.