Rather than simply selecting from the standard material palettes offered by manufacturers, we have visited factories to observe the process of creating materials specifically made for this project.
For the interior finishes, 94% of the materials are natural or sustainable materials (materials that take environmental and social issues into consideration), and the fixtures and furniture are also made from offcuts and reclaimed materials. Also, we adopted some installation methods that enable us to use the materials in the future without becoming industry waste, such as non-adhesive installation for the glass block flooring.
A new flagship shop of ALLU, a pre-owned brand operated by Valuence Holdings Inc., which handles rare items from luxury brands and one-off pre-owned (reused) items that have been passed down through the ages. ALLU has been reborn as a brand that proposes new values and new insights by creating opportunities for people to choose secondary distribution instead of “disposal” when letting go of items. As a designer, we explored interior design based on the four key concepts, in response to this new brand concept and the company’s aims to lead the space to embody the brand.
1 Circulation
Soil plays an important role in the circulation of the environment in nature. The key material is ‘soil’, which is the core of the ecosystem in the global environment, and ALLU is seen as the ‘soil’ (i.e. the core of the circulation of products) in the commercial economy..
2. Coexistence of nature and human beings
It is expressed through the use of sustainable materials and natural materials with 94% of the interior finishes being natural or sustainable (materials that consider environmental and social issues), while the fixtures and furniture are also made from offcuts and reclaimed materials. These will make customers aware of environmental issues, and the ingenuity of the design will give them the opportunity to experience an example of solutions to the problem.
3. Redefining value
Store fixtures, which are usually discarded once their purpose is fulfilled, are regarded as works of art. By using materials that develop character over time or have high durability, these fixtures gain more narratives and value as the years go by. This approach aligns with the brand’s philosophy.
4. Raising awareness
By incorporating contemporary design with a concept that conveys messages about environmental issues, as well as contemporary art that offers new perspectives, we aim to create a shop space that resonates with the products. Through experiencing this space, we hope that guests will become more aware of and reconsider environmental issues.
Rather than simply selecting from the standard material palettes offered by manufacturers, we have visited factories, such as, domestic soil wall, Washi paper with soil mix with, domestic thinned wood and hazardous tree left on the site , custom made tiles made from prototype and discarded tiles as raw materials, and glazed with molten slag produced by Japan’s waste treatment technology called “melting furnaces,” which reduces and detoxifies large volumes of waste generated from households and factories, tiles glazed with volcanic ash, tiles made from lava stone, and tiles made from limestone, Japanese bio-vegan leather upcycled from wood powder generated at domestic cypress processing plants, carpets from ECONYL, a nylon fiber that can be regenerated repeatedly from waste, and egg paint made by blending eggshells from food production process with diatomaceous earth, recycled gypsum board made entirely from waste gypsum board, and offcuts or reclaimed stones that suppose to be discarded at stone factory. Furthermore, for the glass block flooring, we adopted an installation method that does not use any adhesives, enabling blocks to be reused in the future without becoming industry waste. We also incorporated white lacquer, a material that evolves over time and is rooted in traditional Japanese urushi lacquer techniques. This approach deepened our own understanding of the materials and also led to a greater awareness of societal challenges, issues, and recycling systems, and allowed us to reflect these insights in our design.
On the other hand, this project has evolved into another initiative that gives new purpose to surplus materials, offcuts, and waste generated during the interior construction. This approach not only aims to reduce industrial waste as designers, but also to utilize it, addressing the reality of surplus in interior construction. By reusing materials, individual interior projects, which would otherwise be unrelated, become connected, helping to reduce waste and hopefully moving the entire interior design industry in a more inclusive direction.
The Following are each floor’s concept.
The ground floor
Karesansui (Japanese rock garden/ Zen garden/ Dry landscape garden), one of the Japanese garden’s styles, is an interior motif on the ground floor.
The coexistence between nature and human beings is expressed through karesansui, which consists of fixtures made of Date Kane Stone (kind of basalt / igneous rock) with a sense of history, whose expression was created through crustal movements in the sea, and a customer’s pathway that is likened to a stream of water. The store also expresses the ALLU’s philosophy of proposing new ways of looking at things through the works of artists who draw out the unlimited possibilities of materials.
*Karesansui is a garden using sand, fine gravel, and arranged rocks, symbolizing water waves and the force of waves crashing onto the shore to express magnificent natural scenery such as mountains and the sea without water. These were developed in Zen temples during the Muromachi period (14th to 16th century), where Zen Buddhist monks practiced.
The first floor
Tisen Teien (Japanese water garden), one of the Japanese garden’s styles, is an interior motif on the first floor. While moving around the glass area in the centre of the space, which resembles the pond of Tisen Teien, l visitors can experience awareness, raise questions, and a proposed solution of environmental issues through each interior materials.
A tea room is set up in the space at the back, and from the tea room, the Shinjuku streetscape of department stores and brand shops selling new products is taken in as scenery as the background for the landscaping, providing a contrast to ALLU, which sells reused products. We expect visitors to spend time in the tea room, a space separated from everyday life, where they can have the opportunity to explore the essence of things. The works of contemporary designers and artists who try to draw out infinite possibilities from various materials are in the space.
*Tisen Teien is a traditional style of garden featuring a central pond and winding rivers as focal points and also admired by walking around. These gardens were originally created for the enjoyment and appreciation of the nobility, including emperors, shoguns, and aristocrats.
The second floor
Karesansui (Japanese rock garden/ Zen garden/ Dry landscape garden), one of the Japanese garden’s styles, and Gofukuya, shops specialising in traditional Japanese clothing such as kimonos, obis and kimono accessories, are interior motifs on the second floor.
Zauri of a shop which sold kimonos during the Edo period. (Zauri is a sales method in which the customer goes up to the tatami room and chooses a product while conversing with the shop staff, unlike the modern display method). This encourages a deeper communication between the customer and the product. This area also overlooks a Karesansui garden with furniture and fixtures created by contemporary designers and artists from waste or off-cut materials. This area is a display sales area. After passing through this space, which allows visitors to experience both a Zauri sales area and a contemporary display sales area, they arrive at the gallery, which is another method of sales area.
The basement
Moss is a motif for the basement floor.
Japan has developed a rare “culture of admiring moss,” unique in the world. Moss, which retains its green color throughout the year, subtly changes its hues and textures depending on humidity and light, evoking a serene beauty. It is an indispensable element of Japanese gardens and represents one of the most familiar aspects of nature’s beauty to the Japanese people. With furniture that reinterpret traditional furniture and materials in a modern way on a green carpet inspired by moss, we aim to bring a new interpretation to the concept of the Japanese garden.
The sustainable materials on use;
– Soil…Japanese soil for soil wall on every floor
– Stone…Date Kane Stone (kind of basalt / igneous rock) for showcase’s base and KUTSUNUGI-ISHI (shoe removal stone), Off-cut and waste stone from a stone factory in Gifu for TOBI-ISHI (stepping stone), natural lava stones and limestones for floor.
– Wood…Thinned wood that can contribute to environmental protection.
– Glass… Glass made from recycled fluorescent lamps for display top.
– Glass… Glass blocks on the floor are installed without any adhesive so that they can be reused instead of becoming industrial waste after use.
– Japanese WASHI paper…The original Japanese paper mixed with soil (reusable material) for Shoji, Japanese paper sliding doors.
– Leather… Japanese bio-vegan leather upcycled from wood dust generated in cypress processing plants in Japan for shelves.
– White lacquer… With a respect for the goods and brand that will be placed on the shelves, white lacquer, a material that evolves over time and has been used for gods, Buddhas and celebration, is used
– Tile… Volcanic ash as glaze designed by formafantasma for dzek, Original tiles for ALLU, glazed with molten slag (a substance emitted from melting furnaces that process waste), resembling tatami mats. manufactured by TAJIMI CUSTOM TILE.
– Carpet… ECONYL® products, a recyclable nylon fibre made from waste that can be recycled many times over.
– Paintings…”Egg paint”, made by blending diatomaceous earth with eggshells from the food production process for walls and ceilings.
– Plasterboard…”Chiyoda Circular Gypsum Board”, made from 100% recycled plasterboard for walls and ceilings.
The artists in collaboration;
– BEN STORMS (Wall hanging sculpture on the ground floor)
– TETSUYA HIOKI (Soil block table on the ground floor)
– SHO OTA (High stools on the ground floor)
– OKURAYAMA STUDIO (Legs of showcase fixture on the ground floor/ KUTSUNUGI-ISHI (shoe removal stone) on the first floor)
– GAKU NAKANE (Large vessel on the ground floor, second floor and basement)
– e.phelis (Ceramic artwork on the ground floor)
DIRK VAN DER KOOIJ (Chairs in the meeting room on the second floor)
We+ (Stools on the first floor)
MULTISTANDARD (Stools on the first floor)
RYUTARO YAMADA (Vessel in the tea room on the first floor)
TOUCHU (Glass artwork on the first floor)
PIET HEIN EEK (Low table on the second floor)
NAO WASHI (Shoji, Japanese paper sliding door)
KAI DANIEL HIRAO (Wall art on the second floor)
HONOKA (Stool for the second floor)
RYOSUKE HARASHIMA (Cabinet on the basement)
TAKANORI SENDA (Japanese washi paper applied on the glass door on the basement, Japanese washi paper wall for tea room on the first floor, Japanese washi paper door for the entrance of the gallery on the second floor)
