Aesop

Nestled in the intimate café culture of Runstraat and inspired by the joyful colours and modernist aesthetic of the Nieuwe Bouwen movement, Aesop Nine Streets offers a calming yet genial atmosphere in which to escape the pedestrian traffic. Among the dark brown floors and mellow green walls, the minimalist furniture introduces bright flashes of yellow—adding a warm, uplifting vibrancy.

The simple, functional arrangements of locally sourced and reused materials belie their deeper intent. The freestanding fixtures, integrated with uniform lighting strips, operate unaided, to leave only minimal traces on the store’s shell. A grey-water filtration system—the first of its kind in an Aesop store—recycles the outflow from the trough-like basins for use in the toilet and washing machine, and to water the plants.

The outdoor space brims with local foliage, as well as plants from which some of the ingredients that go into our formulations are derived, enabling their aromas to be enjoyed in their natural state. A greenhouse—a staple of Dutch architecture—will host herbs that will be served to customers as tea, to refresh and restore equilibrium.