Mardi Mercredi’s new Tokyo store poses an alternative take to biophilic design

Korean fashion brand Mardi Mercredi opened its first location in Japan in Tokyo, near Daikanyama Station. Creative Studio Unravel headed the project, taking care of site selection, design, contractor hiring and completion. The flagship store spans two storeys. Each floor has a unique structure and layout. While internal circulation was not possible, the two separate floors are accessible via an external staircase. On the ground floor, the ceiling was opened up, revealing functional elements, and concrete walls were left bare. A metal grid system overlays the exposed ceilings, from which display tables and elements are suspended. Additional simple metal display shelves surround the perimeter of the space. Comprising interlocking squares of different dimensions, wood floors soften the ground floor’s industrial feel.

The outdoor journey to the first floor helps connect visitors with the adjacent green street, a narrative that continues back inside the space. Its design aims to bring the external scenery inside, offering panoramic views via large windows and giving the illusion of being in the canopy of the trees. A colour scheme that further dissolves these boundaries was used, with a shade of green dominating the floors, walls and ceilings. The main product display wall curves opposite the windows, offering organic lines in the geometric environment. Reflective display tables occupy the centre of the space, further bringing the exterior in.