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Contemporary urban life is oftentimes discordant and rough, with moments of relief amidst the cacophony. Our design for the Johor store embodies this contemporary experience of city life by playing with the dichotomy of soft and hard. A Brutalist aesthetic of rough plaster and cold, repellent stainless steel contrasts with the buttery leather upholstery and plush carpeting. As a leather accessories brand, we sought to incorporate leather into the store’s materiality but in an unexpected way. The large column is orbited with leather clad shelves & the inset display panels are lined with the same, the unexpectedness of the applications heightening the luxury of it. Similarly, the hush of the carpeted back room & the very nonsensicality of it in a commercial environment makes it all the more calming. Dimmed lighting with pooling highlights and the chromatic continuity of the warm terracotta running throughout, smooth out the disjunctions to create one cohesive environment. The combined effect, a richly tactile experience that encourages visitors to experience the store in a bodily, as opposed to solely visual, way. Photography by David Yeow.