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.
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
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