Aesop Hainan Underwater Cave Store celebrates algae-based materials and immersive spatial architecture

Aesop has opened its first store on Hainan Island with an interior that feels like an underwater cave. The in-house design team shaped the space around compression and release, soft curves, and two large ceiling oculi that guide light like apertures in a submerged grotto. The store sits inside the Haitang Bay Duty Free Shopping Complex in Sanya, yet it creates a calm world within the busy retail setting. Visitors move through a curved threshold that filters the noise outside and leads them into an intimate room washed with amber light.

A central table with brass basins anchors the plan, while an array of 2,000 gently shimmering aluminum pieces hangs beneath the largest oculus. These pieces are finished with an algae-based bioplastic developed by designer Jessie French. The material introduces a new layer of texture and a conversation about resource cycles. A four meter pillar near the entrance is wrapped with the same algae surface in a pattern that recalls ocean currents. Display shelves line the perimeter and a personalization room sits deeper in the plan, where two facing basins invite slow testing and consultation. The project is a study in sensory retail and material innovation, showing how spatial character can frame a brand without losing architectural substance.

Site, Program, and Spatial Sequence

The store occupies a unit within a large duty free complex, which sets a challenging context. The designers responded with a fluid shell that compresses at the entry and expands at the heart of the plan. This move sets up a simple sequence. First, a curved portal draws the eye inward. Second, the central room opens beneath the primary oculus. Third, the path bends toward a quieter personalization room that mirrors the circular language of the ceiling openings. The geometry is consistent from edge to edge, so the space feels resolved and legible.

Ceiling Oculi and Light as a Material

Two oculi act as light wells and symbolic anchors. Their edges are clean and deep, which sharpens the contrast between bright cores and shaded walls. Under the larger oculus, a suspended installation scatters reflections across the floor and fixtures. The effect is not theatrical for its own sake. It supports the slow pace of testing skincare by giving the eyes a soft, moving field rather than harsh glare. The smaller oculus focuses light near the perimeter and links visually to the round mirrors inside the personalization room.

Algae-based Bioplastic as Architectural Surface

The algae-based bioplastic is more than a decorative film. It is a surface with its own performance profile. Developed by Jessie French, it uses an algae-derived polymer with milled pigments. The finish can be applied to smooth substrates without glue, removed intact, reheated, and reshaped for reuse. In a retail sector known for short fit-out cycles, this reversibility reduces waste and extends the useful life of components. The sealed version used on the entrance pillar was cast in place and finished with an organic sealant for durability.

Fixtures, Tactility, and Customer Flow

The central brass basins create a social island where staff guide product testing. Around them, thick counters and curved shelves keep circulation clear. Amber lighting warms the product tones and supports the cave concept without hiding surface detail. Seating is set along the arc of the perimeter so visitors can pause without blocking movement. Materials are chosen for touch as much as for appearance, which suits a brand that relies on scent, texture, and ritual.

Key Elements At A Glance

Material Ecology and Maintenance Logic

The algae finish preserves organic matter while keeping biodegradability. It can be lifted, repositioned, and melted for reuse. This reversibility supports circular fit-out strategies and reduces the risk of landfill when retail standards change. Aluminum panels are light, durable, and easy to reconfigure, which further supports maintenance and future updates. The brass basins will patinate with use, adding time as a layer rather than treating wear as failure.

Atmosphere and Sensory Strategy

Amber light creates visual comfort and a consistent temperature for skin testing. Curved edges soften the plan so that no corner feels abrupt. The sound profile benefits from soft finishes and the deep reveals of the oculi, which reduce echo under the main installation. The designers avoided busy color contrasts. Instead they relied on the shimmer of the aluminum and the slight mirroring of the algae surface to bring movement. The result is calm, legible, and memorable.

Program and Circulation Summary

Context, Precedent, and Brand Alignment

The store aligns with a lineage of Aesop spaces that treat fit-outs as site-specific interiors rather than generic rollouts. Here, the concept grows from Hainan’s coastal setting and the immediate reality of a dense retail complex. The underwater cave metaphor provides a strong frame, but the core is still architectural: clear hierarchy, coherent geometry, and a robust material system. The project contributes to ongoing discussions about retail design, resource cycles, and the role of materials in shaping experience.

Architectural Analysis

The design logic is based on three moves. First, simplify the plan with a central room and a secondary secluded space. Second, express verticality with oculi that concentrate light and organize program. Third, deploy a tight material palette with a single experimental finish that threads through the scheme. The algae-based surface becomes both a visual device and a circular material test bed. It demonstrates how thin films can be designed for removal, repair, and reuse.

Material use is strategic. Aluminum delivers lightness and reflectivity. Brass provides weight and aging. The algae film supplies color shift and ecological narrative. The combination avoids visual clutter and supports the cave concept. In context, this is an assertive answer to the scale of duty free retail. Rather than competing with the mall, the store withdraws into a controlled world and lets detail carry the identity. A critical point is the reliance on a single signature material. If maintenance protocols are not upheld, the effect could age unevenly. The project anticipates this by allowing removal and reapplication, yet it still demands disciplined care from operators.

Project Importance

For architects, the store models how a clear spatial idea can host brand ritual without reducing the space to a stage set. It shows how a compact plan can feel generous through light and curvature. It also offers a practical pathway for integrating experimental materials into retail while planning for reversibility and future change. As a typology, the project enriches discussions about circular fit-outs and material passports in small-scale interiors.

The timing matters. Retail is shifting toward slower, sensorial experiences and toward fit-outs that minimize waste. This project signals how both goals can align. It adds to the body of work on low-impact finishes and suggests methods that can transfer to hospitality and cultural interiors. It invites further architectural research on thin bio-based films, adhesion without glues, and reversible sealing systems.

✦ ArchUp Editorial Insight

The core idea is strong. A compressed entry opens to a luminous cave where algae finishes and brass touch points create a calm, tactile field. The visual language is disciplined and the circular material strategy is credible. Still, the concept leans heavily on a single finish. Could the experience remain as evocative if the algae film were reduced or rotated over time. The project’s value lies in pairing spatial clarity with reversible materials, pointing retail interiors toward quieter forms and lighter footprints.

Conclusion

Aesop Hainan demonstrates how a precise architectural narrative can transform a generic mall unit into a memorable environment. The underwater cave metaphor gives shape to light, sound, and movement. The two oculi form a vertical spine, while curves and warm tones slow the pace of retail. At the same time, the algae-based bioplastic reframes finish selection as part of a cycle rather than a one-time application. Surfaces can be removed, reformed, and redeployed, which sets a useful precedent for future projects.

The store contributes to a broader shift in interior practice. It favors fewer materials used with clarity. It accepts patina and treats maintenance as design. It makes room for sensory experience without relying on spectacle. For the discipline of buildings and interiors, the lesson is simple. Strong space, honest light, and circular materials can carry a project far. As cities and brands look for resilient strategies, this kind of compact, well-made retail interior offers a grounded model for the next wave of projects.

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