When conceiving Aesop’s third incarnation within Galaxy Macau, the brand’s in-house architects were inspired by the history of the city’s streets—their names, their distinctive trades, their architecture. The designers were especially fascinated by Rua dos Faitiões, which had been home to multiple rice stores in the 1960s and 70s and known as ‘Rice Street’. With the advent of supermarkets, most of these traditional shops closed. One remains, however, and continues to provide locals with daily sustenance. 

Aesop’s space is laden with nostalgia for small businesses of this ilk, taking material and formal cues from their once-ubiquitous wooden rice barrels. The compact room is sheathed in walnut timber cabinetry and acoustic felt in an earthy hue, with rounded corners and curves that extend up to the ceiling. A quartet of bronze basins occupies the centre, inviting visitors to explore the brand’s formulations with gently running water. At hand on the countertops and underfoot, a refined pebble terrazzo evokes scattered grains of rice.  

For those seeking more in-depth encounters, a solitary basin and mirrored cabinet allow guests to apply products directly onto their faces, as if in the comfort of their own bathroom. Hidden in the curved wall, a Fragrance Armoire—the first in the city—contains Aesop’s range of nonconformist Eaux de Parfum, ready for discerning noses to probe through. Tucked between these features, a velvet sofa offers a moment of respite for anyone who might like to soak up the warm, cosy ambiance and—perhaps—contemplate the legacy of Macau’s rice purveyors.