Free International Laboratory II

F.I.L Tokyo (2004)

Hiroki Nakamura, hereafter 'N': This store is in a basement, and the challenge was how to make the underground space comfortable and organic. In Tokyo, it is difficult to find old buildings. Working with what we had (a newer building), we still wanted to imbue the space with a natural, organic feel. This involved using natural plaster and soft box lighting, similar to that of a film studio.
We wanted customers to feel like they could see outside even though the store is in a basement, which is why we included a green wall covered in plants near the entrance. The open space and carefully selected product display allows customers ample breathing room to fully interact with the collection.

Architect, Naohiko Hino, hereafter 'H': One of the earlier stores, F.I.L Tokyo is an open, relaxed space with very solid texture. The stoic concrete juxtaposed with antique furniture, chosen by Mr. Nakamura, defines the basic F.I.L store concept. The way that the natural light seeps into this half-basement space is very beautiful.

F.I.L Sendai (2007/2011)

N: We had to remodel F.I.L Sendai after the original store sustained some damage during the 2011 Tohoku earthquake in north-eastern Japan. The new space features beautiful wood flooring from an old church, which was old and nicely worn out, but very clean, with great patina. I've got a hunch that only slippers were used on the floor, which would explain the good condition. For the walls we used natural plaster; this material does a really great job of absorbing light and not reflecting it. The wooden, closet-like fixtures were used in a menswear store in New York in the early 1900's. They are sturdy and well-made, all with cast iron hardware. Beautiful green walls on the outside of the store act as a frame for the store inside.

H: The recently expanded interior has a completely different feeling from the original space, but I still think the outside-facing frame-like window defines this stores identity. This new space is composed of strong, organic materials, and has a soft appearance with exceptional depth.

F.I.L general manager, Sotoshi Shibata, hereafter 'S': The impression after the renovation was strong, and I felt that the basic wooden theme signaled a new direction for out brand. It's a place where you can experience a variety of time-cultivated elements.

F.I.L Kanazawa (2007)

N: There is a skylight and a tall, 5 meter ceiling, giving this store very nice natural lighting. I think the Kanazawa store is one of the most comfortable F.I.L spaces. Being here, especially in the morning, is a great feeling.
The natural plaster craftsmen that we use for all of our retail spaces are from Kanazawa. They are some of the best artisans for natural plaster in Japan, and only use natural ingredients when they do their work. Kanazawa is one of my favorite cities in Japan. Back in the Edo Period, the daimyo (feudual lords) in Kanazawa, the Maeda-ke, had tremendous wealth and power, but they were fearful that the Tokugawa shogunate would view them as a threat. So, in order to quell any notion that they would attempt to overthrow him in the future, they showed fealty to Tokugawa by investing heavily in local arts and craft as opposed to military.
They were trying to send a sign that they were peaceful. Fortunately for them this worked, and they became well-liked by the Tokugawa central government. The Maeda-ke invited many great artists and artisans to Kanazawa, which is why there is such a long, storied history of high art and crafts from Kanazawa that continues today.

H: The light that falls in through the window of this high-ceiling store casts dramatic shadows on anything it touches. A special store even amongst the other F.I.L shops, this is an almost unbelievably rich space. During this project we became acquainted with shikkui plaster artisans from Kanazawa, and have been working with them on subsequent retail projects ever since.

S: Although this store is in the middle of lively shopping street, it gives off a vastly different vibe from its surroundings. The in-store ivy that was sparse when F.I.L Kanazawa opened has now grown up admirably, and contrasts beautifully with the stone interior.

F.I.L Hiroshima (2008)

N: F.I.L Hiroshima is in a very unique location. It is right in front of a park with many sakura (cherry blossom) trees; spring is the best time to visit the store, as there are many people having picnics under the blooming flowers just outside the store. The store is filled with abundant natural light, and outfitted with vintage fixtures from New York.

H: While we wanted to design a space that takes advantage of the park-facing location, it wasn't simply a matter of making the space 'open.' Well-connected design requires some ingenuity; this idea gave birth to a variety of scenes within this modestly sized shop. By the way, the hidden theme of this shop is the golden ratio... how many examples can you find?

S: This is personally my favorite store. You can see the park from the window, adding to the store's sense of openness. Although it's in the center of a major city like Hiroshima, the store also has the feeling of returning to one's hometown.

F.I.L Tokyo (2009)

N: This space is in a shopping area with a lot of pedestrian traffic where a drug store and cakes shop line the street. When initially looking over the property information, it seemed difficult for use as a shop and nothing about the location or space particularly stood out to me. But there was one thing about this property that would not escape my mind. This property housed a Kyo-Ningyo (Kyoto Doll) shop that had been around for sixteen generations. I decided to immediately visit Kyoto to see this property, and my anticipation did not disappoint. In fact, it was more that I could have imagined, as the space was comfortable but deliberately serious in its beauty, the perfect place for customers to view handmade Kyo-Ningyo. Although slightly different from the F.I.L stores we had made up until then, the underlying theme of 'a space that is contemplative and allows for customers to interact with the product' kept overlapping inside my head, and it was then that i decided to make this space into a store.

H: Kyo-ningyo dolls and shoes are roughly the same size. This is why if you adjust the space a little bit you can use it as a store for visvim products. It is not merely the story of carrying on this Kyoto tradition that is interesting, but that the necessity of carrying on this tradition in the first place gave birth to the stores design. From the woodwork to the clay walls, the traditional work of Kyoto artisans can be found in the most unassuming of places.

S: This is a store that stands quietly amongst the din of the Kawaramachi shopping area in Kyoto, I thought to myself when I first saw the inside of the renovated Kyo-ningyo space. For some reason I always get a little nervous riding the old-style elevator in the store.

F.I.L Nagoya (2010)

N: F.I.L Nagoya has two floors, with the majority of the product on the second floor. There are wooden fixtures, natural plaster walls, and lots of natural light. Two windows face each other from opposite sides of the store, one window that shows a lot of greenery, and another that opens up to a balcony that faces a shrine. This shrine is actually a shrine of clothing, which I think is very appropriate.

H: Right behind the store there is a shrine, and we built a terrace in order to integrate this borrowed landscape in to the design of the store. The yellow autumn gingko leaves paint an unbelievably beautiful scene. The interior of the shop may be similar to other F.I.L's, but the scenery here is undoubtedly unique to the Nagoya store.

Visvim

천재는 스스로 행복할 줄 아는 사람이다

'천재'는 스스로 행복할 줄 아는 사람이다. 19세기 말 미국 사상가 랄프 왈도 에머슨은 자기 자신의 생각을 믿고 자신에게 진실한 것이 인류 모두에게 진실하다고 믿는 자를 천재라고 정의한다. 내 자신의 생각은 무엇인가? 나는 그 생각을 가장 위대한 것으로 믿을 수 있는가? 우리는 우리 자신의 생각을 헤아리려 노력하지 않는다. 우리는 너무 쉽게 외부적인 평가와 기준에 우리를 맞추려 한다. 천재는 자기 자신 마음의 심연(深淵)에 숨어 있는 자신만의 욕망이 무엇인지 진지하게 생각하고 그것을 아무런 거리낌도 없이 행동으로 옮긴 자다.
자신만의 생각은 자신의 DNA처럼 각자에게 특별하다. 자신의 영적인 DNA는 스스로 찾아야 한다. 이 특별한 DNA는 안 보이지만 우리를 존재하게 하는 중력과 같다. 모든 사람들의 영적인 DNA는 모두 한 곳을 지향하고 있다. '생각하다'라는 히브리 단어 '샤아르'는 원래 혼돈의 광야에서 질서의 도시로 들어가기 위한 '성문'이며 세속의 공간과 거룩한 공간을 표시하는 '신전의 대문'이다. '샤아르'는 경계이며 터부다. 내 자신이 정결하게 수련하고 준비하지 않으면 그 신전 문을 통과할 수 없다. 그리스 신화에 등장하는 오이디푸스가 테베라는 도시에 진입하려 할 때, 그 경계에서 만난 괴물이 스핑크스다. 스핑크스는 오이디푸스에게 묻는다. "목소리는 하나이나, 처음에는 네 발로 걷고, 그 후엔 두 발도 걷고, 나중에는 세 발로 걷는 존재는 무엇이냐?" 오이디푸스는 '인간'이라고 대답한다. 인간은 어릴 때는 네 발로 기면서 땅만 보며 산다. 우물 안에 있는 개구리처럼 자신이 보는 세계가 전부라고 착각한다.
인간은 정신적으로 영적으로 자신의 두 발로 걸을 때, 비로소 인간이 된다. '신전 문'이란 의미를 가진 '샤아르'는 "저 높은 신전 문 위에서 신전 안으로 들어가려는 자신을 관조하다"라는 의미를 지닌다. 우리가 생각하는 이유는 아무런 생각도 없이 생각하는 행위가 아니라 내 자신이 어디로 가고 있는지, 그 삶의 여정에서 어디쯤 왔는지, 그 길을 왜 가야 하는지, 자신만의 여정을 위해 힘찬 발걸음을 한 발 한 발 내딛기 위함이다. 우리는 불안하지만 거룩한 경계에서 자신이 성취해야 할 카르마를 찾는다.
영화 '인터스텔라'에 숨겨진 아름다운 주제가 있다. 주인공에겐 사랑하는 딸이 있다. 그러나 그는 지구를 대체할 새로운 행성을 찾기 위해 우주여행을 떠난다. 사랑하는 딸을 두고 기약이 없는 여행을 떠나야 하는 주인공의 얼굴엔 두려움이 가득 차 있다. 주인공은 두렵고 불확실하며 생명을 담보로 한 미션이지만 그 여행을 감행한다. 누구에게나 자신의 마음을 가만히 들여다보면, 누구도 가본 적이 없고 대신 갈 수 없어 두렵지만 반드시 시도해야 하는 그 무엇이 바로 자신의 길이다.
당신은 어디로 가고 있는가? 내가 감행하는 이 여행은 나에게 유일하다. 그러기에 거룩하다. 우리는 얼마나 다른 사람들이 간 길을 흠모하고 추종하고 있는가? 내 마음속에 숨겨져 있는 나만의 신념, 이것이 나의 보물이자 나의 천재성이다. 만일 내가 이 보물을 발견한다면, 많은 사람들이 감동의 박수를 보낼 것이다. 그들이 감동하는 이유는 그들 자신 안에 숨겨진 그들만의 보물을 찾아나설 수 있는 용기를 주기 때문이다. 가장 심오한 나의 생각이 사람들의 공감을 얻어낼 수 있는 가장 보편적이고 우주적이며 영적인 생각이기 때문이다. 자신의 마음에 숨겨져 있는 이 보물과 같은 생각을 고고학자처럼 발굴한 사람들이 붓다이며, 예수이고, 공자다.
우리는 심연에서 자신의 모습을 보여주는 이 천재적인 섬광을 감지하고 응시할 수 있어야 한다. 자신만의 생각들을 정리한 자들이 셰익스피어, 모차르트, 그리고 아인슈타인이다. 이 천재들이 다른 사람들이 만들어 놓은 밤하늘의 별들을 찬양하고 그 내용을 암기했겠는가? 이들은 모두 자신의 심연에 숨겨진 이야기를 용기 있게 표현한 예술가들이다. 우리의 마음을 가만히 응시해 보자. 우리는 그런 숭고한 생각의 섬광을 발견하지만, 무시해버린다. 결국 우리 스스로를 귀하게 여기는 마음이 없어 우리는 모두 타인들만이 가졌다고 여겨지는 행복이란 신기루를 바라볼 뿐이다. 천재들은 바로 자신의 심연에서 발견된 자신의 모습을 그대로 수용해 자신만의 방식으로 행동으로 옮긴 자들이다. 그 모습이 남들과 비교하면 보잘것없고 숨기고 싶은 것이라 할지라도, 있는 그대로 수용하면 그것이 오히려 내 자신의 별을 발견하게 되는 발판이 된다.
기원전 27세기 인류 최초의 도시가 있었다. 수메르 우룩이란 도시다. 오늘날 이라크의 남부에 위치한 알-와르카다. 이곳에는 이 도시를 건설한 전설적인 왕 이야기가 지금까지 우리에게 전해 내려온다. '길가메쉬 서사시'다. 12개 토판문서로 이루어진 이 서사시는 다음과 같이 시작한다. "심연을 본 사람, 길가메쉬." 여기서 심연(深淵)이란 길가메쉬가 불로초가 있다고 여긴 페르시아만의 가장 깊은 곳이다. 영어로는 'Abyss(아비스)'라고 부르는데, '바닥이 없는 장소'란 의미다. 길가메쉬는 이곳으로 내려가 불로초를 따온다. 심연(深淵)은 또한 길가메쉬의 가장 심오한 마음의 연못인 심연(心淵)이기도 하다. 길가메쉬는 자기 마음의 가장 깊은 곳으로 내려가 자기 자신을 발견한 자다. 인류 최초의 서사시인 '길가메쉬 서사시'는 우리에게 자신의 심연으로 여행할 것을 권한다.
'심연' 연재를 시작하면서, 이 글을 읽는 독자들이 모두 특별하고 유일하게 주어진 자신의 심연 안에 숨겨진 보물을 발견하면 좋겠다. 그 도구가 바로 깊은 생각인 묵상(默想)이다. 자신의 마음속에 있는 별이 저 하늘의 별보다 더 위대하고 쓸모 있기 때문이다. 우리가 인생을 어느 정도 살면 깨닫는 사실이 하나 있다. 남을 부러워하는 것은 무식이며 더욱이 흉내 내는 것은 자살행위다. 19세기 미국의 시인 월트 휘트먼의 시 '자기 자신을 위한 노래'는 다음과 같이 시작한다. "나는 내 자신을 축하하고 내 자신을 노래합니다. 내가 옳다고 생각하는 것을 당신도 옳다고 생각할 것입니다."
내가 축하해야 할 대상은 나하고 상관없는 신이나 이데올로기가 아니라 내 자신이다. 자신을 가장 소중하게 생각하고 자신의 심연에서 우러나오는 자신만의 미션을 찾는 자가 가장 행복한 자다.
- 배철현, 경향신문 오피니언 中

Macbeth

Macbeth

Free International Laboratory I

When we first opened F.I.L some acquaintances asked me why we don't play music in the store.

When I was younger, on the day I bought a new album, I would always run back home to sit by my record player alone and listen to it. With nervous and anticipated excitement I'd place the record on the turntable and play it over and over again as I read through the lyrics. I'm sure I'm not the only one whose first encounter with music was like this.

At the risk of sounding overly nostalgic, I actually liked and looked forward to the nervousness that came along with playing a new record; the seriousness of the moment felt meditative and always brought on an unintended silence, tranquility, or focus.

These days purchasing albums and other products can be done efficiently through the internet. As things become more convenient I find myself experiencing the benefits of technological progression directly. It feels like this convenience and speed are changing the style and methodology of consumption.

Prior to opening, as I explored ideas for F.I.L, I thought about the essential characteristics that the store needed to have. I thought about creating a space where products would be showcased with a deliberate seriousness, an ambiance of subtle tension.

It is for this reason that we do not play music in F.I.L None whatsoever. No sounds at all.

I do not feel as though music is unnecessary. Quite the contrary, actually. But I'd rather have a small hand in the lives of our customers and friends by offering a venue for them to face the music directly, live, on special occasions, the same way they face our product without it in silent reflection.

I'm positive that I do not fully understand the problems that the music industry is facing today. The only insight I can offer is that like other creators, musicians might potentially share some of the same concerns or worries, and benefits for that matter, that the current rapid-paced consumer cycle yields. But more importantly than that is the rare and lucky opportunity to perform for others - customers, consumers, really - who give their full attention and focus to what has been created (music and product).

F.I.L is also designed so people can experience the product in a neutral yet comfortable space. I asked myself what kind of design elements would allow a person visiting our store to feel comforted. After careful consideration of all possibilities, I concluded that high ceilings, hon-shikkui plaster, natural light, the balance between that light and shade, antique furniture, the use of greenery or some organic component, and the scent occupying the space, were all essential elements.

I first started the brand because I notices too many products with a lot of marketing, but very little substance. I just wanted to make something with meaning, so I had to minimize all the noise.

When I came up with the retail concept for F.I.L, or Free International Laboratory, I needed someone who could help me design the shop. I visited a lot of stores as research, and I didn't like any of them. But one day while at an art gallery, I thought, "This would be the perfect place for my product," so I tracked down the architect who designed the art gallery, Naohiko Hino, and asked him to design a store for me. He was a little confused in the beginning because he thought I was asking him to do a retail space design. After submitting his first draft, which I didn't like, I told him to "just do what you do" and make a comfortable space. I told him that the space should be like a gallery, or a temple or shrine, where customers could experience the product without any noise while still being comfortable. Natural light was critically important. So we ran with the gallery idea and used it for our first F.I.L shop.

For our F.I.L stores, we work with Japanese craftsmen who do hon-shikkui plastering. Hon-shikkui is traditionally used in Japanese castles. We wanted to use the hon-shikkui technique for all of our stores since the plaster must be applied by hand, so we had craftsmen from Kanazawa, who usually work on castle restorations, do the walls and surfaces of our stores.

If you visit an F.I.L store, the white walls look almost completely flat and even, but they aren't. They are slightly irregular and actually uneven, but it's almost undetectable. This subliminal unevenness gives us such a rich feeling that cannot be recreated by a machine. It can only be achieved by hand. These white walls, which softly reflect incoming natural light and cast exquisite shadows, are a key element of F.I.L.

From a design standpoint, all our F.I.L locations share this same underlying concept. However, the individually distinct qualities of each space have been emphasized and incorporated into the final design. As a result of this, every F.I.L shop possesses characteristics unique to each location.
- Hiroki Nakamura

Visvim