Aesop Gough Street sits on a bustling corner in central Hong Kong. Amongst the fast paced, continually changing nature of the city, Gough Street, our 17th signature store for Aesop, is more about preservation than innovation.

Rather than working against it, the first challenge to overcome was to embrace the shape of the site. Being present and visible from two thirds of its sides, and being a wedge shape cut on the angle by Aberdeen Street, a central square counter with free standing, oscillating testing sinks was the solution.

The rear wall lends itself to the product, an existing spiral stair is retained. The layout however, relies on the floor being levelled across a 700mm differential, from front, to back. In this case, a glass brick floor is allowed to flourish.

As one labours through the stepping streets of Hong Kong, bent over, gasping for oxygen, one finds themselves staring almost exclusively at the ground. The posture of the body acknowledges the gradient of streets in this area, constantly looking at the ground and deciding on which step to take next. It was fitting therefore, that the gesture at Gough Street became a ground-scape.