Lumiere האָר סאַלאָן

Press Kit

Unique Properties

Lumiere is a hair salon that takes place in a renovated place that was formerly used as a Japanese convenience store. To reduce the production cost, the intervention was minimal, and the additional walls were all built using OSB boards with no finishing applied to them. On the central wall visible from outside, and art installation was created using 120000 golden pins pushed over the OSB board. The light reflection changes according to the time of the day and the position of the viewer.

Dimensions & Packaging

Gross Built Area: 160sqm
W14041mm x D10630mm x H2600mm

Tags

Japan, hairsalon, salon, beauty, wood, OSB, gold, reflection, interior, lighting

Production Technology

As the budget for the whole project was limited, the few additional walls were created using OSB boards with no finishes applied to them. Similarly, the ceiling was created using the same material. The floor was covered in vinyl tiles with a similar OSB pattern printed on them. The art installation was created using 120000 golden pins overlapping to create a more random effect. The pins were placed by hand or using rubber hammers.

Design Challenge

The biggest challenge was to materialize the concept of light using minimum budget and make it visible and appealing both from inside the space and from outside. How can a previous convenience store be appealing for people passing it on one of the main city roads. Next challenge was to find the right shape, position, and balance of the used golden pins to create an art installation that can have a strong effect and then proceed to its execution it on site during the construction

Research

The research for this project was to find out a way to represent the concept of the store, Lumiere, which means light in French and then materialize it with using a restrictive budget. The concept must be appealing from inside and from outside and in the line of the hair salon spirit. The second step was to proceed with an art installation and work on different possibilities of integrating art into a daily business establishment.

Inspiration

The design was inspired by the name of the hair salon. Lumiere in French means light. Light is essential for hair aesthetic operations may it be hair cut or coloring. This design is aimed to represent the importance of light by making it an essential element of the space. The light reflection is present and effective whether the viewer is inside the building or just passing it from outside, where a major road of the city is going through.

Project Duration

Project start: October 2020.
Construction start: February 2021.
Project/Construction End: March 2021.

Location: Himeji City, Japan.

Operation Flow

The renovation of the standard Japanese convenience store to a hair salon was minimal. The openings were kept as they were, the entrance would now give straight to a register and reception counter. A central wall receives four hair set stations on each side. On the right four shampoo stations accessible from both sides. deep in the space are arranged two aesthetic rooms, a private room, and a washroom. On the reception side there is a kid space.