Australian skincare brand Aesop have launched in New York with a kiosk at Grand Central that's made from over 1000 copies of the New York Times.
The newspapers were stacked, torn and bound in a wooden frame then topped with sheets of powder-coated aluminium.
The kiosk is Aesop's first venture into the American market and was designed by Brooklyn architect Jeremy Barbour of Tacklebox.
Aesop are gaining quite a reputation for unusual material choices in their stores - see their branches in Paris, Tokyo and Singapore in our earlier stories.
Here are some more inventive uses for old newspapers.
Photographs are by Juliana Sohn.
Here are some more details from Aesop:
Aesop has been a purveyor of exceptional skin, hair and body products since 1987. The Melbourne company recently opened their first US store inside New York’s Grand Central Terminal. The kiosk, designed by Aesop Director Dennis Paphitis and NY-based architect Jeremy Barbour of Tacklebox, is located in the Graybar passage and offers a selection of Aesop’s line of products. To celebrate this opening, Aesop has created in collaboration with Dia a Jet Set kit that is sold exclusively at the kiosk.
The kiosk was built out of 1,000+ old recycled NY Times newspapers and power coated aluminum which provides the surface on which the products sit. The kiosk is meant to serve as Aesop’s handshake to NY and NY commuters as it is the first retail endeavor on the continent. The handshake is a symbol of both the an introduction to the brand as well as the use Aesop makes of hand demonstrations which are used to introduce Aesop to new customers. The kiosk was intended as a place for information, as well as a place of familiarity, hence the use of the NY Times which is part of the commuters’ daily routine.
Aesop has attracted a loyal following from its beginning for its commitment to high-quality product ingredients, a sophisticated aesthetic, and intelligent communication with its customers. This irreverent company will also open stores in August in Nolita and University Place.
Graybar Passage
Grand Central Terminal
New York, NY 10017
Very subtle. What a great idea to make solid masses out of the otherwise very thin edges of a newspaper.
Looks messy. And I hate people (ab)using poetic quotes to sell their stuff. Withman on top of a kiosk (sigh). Bad taste.
Hey Hercules,
Have you cross examined your aesthetic and poetic tastes lately?
I think its a charming homage to this city wanderer, influential but highly (im)perfect man of letters.
(sigh). Just sayin', not hatin'.
A shame that this is the 'modern' interpretation of an Aesop standard. Quotes have been a pinnacle of their marketing and 'personality' since they started in 1987, long before it became 'trendy' and now 'abused'. Integrity, for me – far more appealing than any trend.
Yet again, a cleaver retail space that promotes an emotion. You either love it or hate it; either way, it's done its job!
I think kiosk is fantastic! What an inventive way to recycle newspapers.
Should have got March to do it. It looks pretty average compared to the work of their antipodean stablemate.
fire safety?!
That's what I was thinking. One lit match–and WHOSH!
hate the kiosk container, love the newspaper, hate the quote, love the stock presentation