Marcomonde, the renowned Japanese fashion brand with a focus on socks and footwear, unveiled its inaugural permanent retail space on the fourth floor of Shibuya PARCO, an eleven-story department store in Tokyo's vibrant fashion district. This 20-square-meter store is a testament to innovative design within a limited space.

Strategically positioned in front of the escalator landing, the retail space captivates visitors with its unique concept. Crafted as a free-standing, abstract, geometric sculpture, the illusion of a staircase dominates the space. However, this staircase leads to nowhere, challenging conventional perceptions. Instead, the carefully curated selection of footwear and apparel is artfully displayed along this intriguing staircase, offering a playful touch of surrealism to the shopping experience.

The surfaces of the stairs, walls, floors, and panels share a uniform finish of durable, epoxy-resin mortar with subtle grey undertones. This choice ensures longevity and accentuates the vibrant colors, intricate patterns, and detailing of Marcomonde's products. The stainless-steel pipe shelves and high-translucency clear glass seamlessly integrate with the existing infrastructure of the building, creating a harmonious aesthetic.

Despite its appearance as a solid block, the design cleverly conceals functional areas within, providing discreet spaces for storage, a change room, and a desk. The Marcomonde Shibuya store masterfully combines the physical familiarity of a staircase with an artful presentation of the brand's collection, creating an engaging and visually stimulating environment. Placed strategically in front of the main building's escalator landing, the store introduces an element of physical disorientation, inviting visitors to explore the illusion of a stairway leading to a secret realm of fashion.

Title: Marcomonde
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Use: Retail
Size: 20 sqm
Completed: 2019
Photographer: Takumi Ota