SEESON’s Flagship Store Renovation Highlights the Use of Natural Light
The exterior and the interior of a store can affect the overall experience of customers and employees. They also have an impact on the brand’s identity. Renovation can be both exciting and rewarding. There are plenty of things to consider, especially when it comes to its surroundings. Some tell a story and create unique experiences for consumers.
Nhabe Scholae, for instance, has recently completed the renovation of the SEESON NKKN flagship store in Vietnam. It is located on the ground floor of an office building on Nam Ky Khoi Nghia street, an important landmark of Saigon’s heritage. Four central streets of Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, Huynh Thuc Khang, Pasteur, and Le Loi bound the block, filled with urban sediments. The block features the coexistence of multiple layers of various eras, such as French villas, Republic-era buildings, and commercial buildings.
Moreover, the architecture of the building is already symbolic of the Modern Architecture movement in South Vietnam in the 60s and 70s. It features a combination of concrete materials and a rational, solid framework. These elements blend the language of Modernism and traditional brise-soleil details.
When it comes to the renovation of the store, the project’s theme is the increasingly rare memory openings in the city. The architect explained that one of the project’s architectural intentions is restoring the building’s original facade, which has changed by different interventions over time. They also wanted to reduce interventions that would affect the main structure of the building.
The main element in the arrangement of the materials is the use of natural light. It carries various levels of surface penetration.
The architect is motivated by creating a break in the urban space using sound and touch as they uncover a dimension of memory. They also wanted to seize the vacillations of light that are either direct or scattered, brilliant or softly sparkling, as it passes through jagged or transparent surfaces. The store aims to evoke the vibration of the body as it moves through a dream world between the virtual and real.
The store consists of a product showroom, SEESON Clinic Radiation Measurement Room, and a cafe.
Photos by Hoang Le, Tung Pham
