Steel fixtures, clear PVC curtains and mirrors hung on pulleys give this Japanese hair salon by Schemata Architects the feel of an industrial warehouse.
Called LIM, the salon is located in Osaka's Shinsaibashi district and occupies an expansive, 563-square-metre retail space with an open-plan layout punctuated by exposed concrete columns and beams.
LIM's styling stations are arranged around suspended rectangular mirrors
"Our client explained to us that the name LIM is derived from 'less is more' ? a famous quote by the modernist architect Mies van der Rohe," said Schemata Architects, which is headed by Jo Nagasaka.
"For us architects, the maestro's words are like a holy mantra that we feel too embarrassed to even mention. But the client unexpectedly suggested it to us as a theme." The mirrors are hung from the ceiling using a pulley system
Working within a tight budget, the studio modified off-the-shelf steel storage units with iridescent zinc-nickel plating and used them to create all of the salon's fixtures.
Large rectangular mirrors on a ceiling-mounted pulley system create flexible individual styling stations. The mirrors double as room dividers that can be easily moved to clear the large space for events.
Steel and leather chairs feature at every station alongside a moveable trolley for the stylist
Schemata Architects used plastic strip curtains, more typically found in industrial buildings such as warehouses and factories, to divide the front and...