Hundreds of stainless steel drawers line the walls of this cosmetics store in Hong Kong, which has been designed by Aim Architecture to emulate a traditional apothecary.
Taking cues from traditional chemists ? where medicines were stored in apothecary cabinets made up of small drawers ? the store is designed to be a space for exploring and discovering.
The beauty store, which focuses on offering the customer a sensory experience, has been shortlisted for a Dezeen Award in the Retail interior category.

Spread across two floors, the store is located on a winding and narrow Hong Kong street packed with shops, restaurants, and food stalls.
The facade is clad with perforated steel lit by LED tube lighting arranged into an H shape.

The austere stainless steel drawers that line most of the walls were designed to give the space an uncluttered, ordered and calm feel. Subtle signage guides customers to open the drawers, revealing the products inside. Rough exposed brick walls and concrete ceilings are used throughout the store to create a visual cohesiveness across the two floors.

On the store's first floor, products are lined up on rubber shelves within stainless steel mirrored cabinets that are suspended from the ceiling.

The mirrored surfaces that reflect the surrounding rough brick walls are intended to make the cabinets almost "disappear" within the space ? a trick that the studio said represents how conventional shopping is vanishing from everyday life.
The studio...