Aesop Williamburg was Parkbench Architect’s first ever project with Aesop and their in-house designer Cyril Marsollier. Existing timber columns, beams and wood flooring remain exposed to celebrate the building’s former industrial life, and the new storefront brings in more natural light through the brick, arch-topped windows. The technical challenges were great in detailing the angled, tiled wall, and how to seamlessly and covertly integrate a new HVAC system. Gathering inspiration from the ubiquitous nature of the East River to this neighborhood, this store is an exploration of how one can evoke the ephemeral quality of light on the river in hard, fixed materials.