Qiora Store and Spa

Sensual materials, diffused lighting and curvaceous forms create a calm, glowing landscape at Shiseido Cosmetics'Qiora Store and Spa in New York. For the Madison Avenue flagship — the first space in North America dedicated solely to Shiseido's new skin-care product line — Architecture Research Office (ARO, New York) created a sensory experience that unites the product with the space. Massive windows at the entrance give passersby clear sightlines into the space. Product glows on display fixtures illuminated with fiberoptic uplights that cycle through shades of white during the day and blue at night. Inside, curvilinear shapes encourage exploration. Hard surfaces are veiled in suspended, translucent Organza fabric panels. In the retail section, fabric creates soft boundaries for the consultation and reception areas. In the spa, fabric shrouds the more intimate lounge and cabin areas, where opaque walls are lined with ultrasuede.

A bright idea: lighting as material. Dimmed and fabric-diffused perimeter fluorescent lighting dominates, and no light fixtures are visible. Light modulates between warm and cool shades to create a sense of daylight and a radiant glow on the skin.

Client Design: Shiseido Cosmetics, New York — Aoshi Kudo, art director Architect: Architecture Research Office (ARO), New York — Stephen Cassell and Adam Yarinsky, partners in charge; Scott Abrahams, project architect; Josh Pulver, Eunice Seng, Rosalyne Shieh and Kim Yao, design team Outside Consultants: Selnick/Harwood Consulting Engineers, New York (structural); Lilker Associates, New York (mechanical engineer); Johnson Schwinghammer, New York (lighting); Mary Bright Inc., New York (curtains); Shen Milsom, New York, Wilke, New York (audio/visual) Suppliers: Corragio, New York (Organza fabric curtains); Rose Brand, New York (poly chintz curtains); General Polymers, Cincinnati (flooring); A L Lighting, New York, Lutron, Coopersburg, Pa. (lighting); Opra SGF Associates Inc., New York (fixturing) Photography: David Joseph, New York