Tokyo studio I IN combined handcrafted tiles with an industrial-style gridded ceiling and playful animal sculptures in a store for designer Nigo's Human Made brand in Seoul's Lotte Mall Jamsil.

The lifestyle store, located inside a contemporary department store, was designed to "truly embody Human Made's philosophy, 'the future is in the past'," I IN co-founder Hiromu Yuyama told Dezeen.

To reference the past, I IN chose to clad the store with traditional Korean celadon tiles, a beloved material in South Korea.

Korea began producing celadon ceramics in the 9th century AD, with the ceramic type quickly becoming admired for its pale green colour that resembles jade, and for its smooth glaze.

"Many previous Human Made stores have been inspired by the character of existing old buildings," Yuyama said.

"Since this project was located inside a contemporary shopping mall, we sought to express the brand's philosophy through material that has been loved and appreciated in Korea for centuries, rather than through the setting."

The pale-green and blue tiles are clad in seemingly random clusters inside the 216-metre-square store, where they contrast with a light parquet wooden floor.

The patterns of the individual tiles in the Human Made shop also added a decorative aspect.

"The celadon tiles are handcrafted; each one has subtle variations in colour, and when you see up close, delicate crackle patterns – known as craquelure – become visible," Yuyama said.

"We were drawn to the powerful presence created by the clusters of individually unique tiles," he continued.

"Rather than allowing colour to dominate the experience, we wanted texture to become the defining quality of the space. From green to blue in restrained, low-saturation tones, the tiles coexist naturally with the merchandise without competing for attention."

The handcrafted tiles and the wooden floor lend an organic feel, which I IN contrasted with an industrial-style gridded ceiling that was designed to evoke factory-floor lighting.

"My impression of Human Made is embracing an industrial aesthetic, so I wanted to translate that element into the space," Yuyama explained.

"Instead of adding decorative industrial details, we wanted that character to emerge through an essential architectural element: light. We envisioned a soft, even illumination reminiscent of a factory floor."

The studio concealed the light sources above the gridded ceiling to let the light filter evenly through the grid and fill the entire space.

Playful details were juxtaposed with the pared-back, industrial materials in reference to both the Human Made brand and the department store location.

Among these are glass-encased shipping containers and a wall decoration of Human Made's heart logo, which I IN made from similar tiles but in bold red.

"The iconic Human Made heart is an exceptionally well-crafted logo," Yuyama said.

"Just three simple lines immediately become expressions of their unique character. There's a playfulness about exploring how far the symbol can be abstracted while still remaining identifiable – it feels very much in the spirit of Human Made," he continued.

"Since the entire space is defined by ceramic tiles, it felt natural to construct the logo using the same material."

I IN also added a number of animal sculptures to the store, which were handcrafted from veneer and foam and then painted. The sculptures were designed to resemble tanuki, Japanese raccoon dogs, as they are closely connected with the Lotte Mall Jamsil.

"Human Made chose tanuki to bring a sense of humour and liveliness to the space," Yuyama said.

"It was a reference to Lotte World, the long-established amusement park connected to the mall," he continued. "Its mascot is widely known as a tanuki, although there is a popular theory that it is actually a raccoon instead."

Japanese fashion designer Nigo launched his Human Made brand in 2010. Perhaps best known for founding cult brand A Bathing Ape, Nigo is currently designing a commercial district in Tokyo with producer Pharrell and was one of the designers of the Tokyo Toilet project.

Designing a store for a designer who is as well-known as Nigo created a "strong sense of responsibility and pressure," Yuyama said.

"However, the project gave us the space to explore new design possibilities at the same time. I believe we were able to expand the visual language of the Human Made brand while remaining true to its identity."

I IN has previously designed a light-filled beach house in Kamakura, Japan, and a department store lounge drenched in luxurious Edo purple.

The photography is by Yongjoon Choi.