Mesura discovered an old quarry where remnants of demolished buildings in Barcelona, constructed with Montjuïc stone, were stored. This exclusive stone, found only in the city, turned out to be a perfect fit for their purpose.
The project aims to emphasise the beauty of the stone by creating a space that serves as a blank canvas.
Located in Barcelona’s Avinguda Diagonal, Aesop’s new store is an ode to forgotten pieces of the past— firmly grounded in authenticity, permanence and tradition.
Reusing and repurposing KMO stone from the region’s Montjuïc quarry, Spanish architecture and interior design studio Mesura worked closely with the Barbany stonemason family to create a uniquely local concept. Challenging the fast pace and influence of modern globalisation, the sustainable design is an exhibition of age-old craftsmanship and a celebration of cultural identity, brought to life via materiality and technique that has stood the test of time.
“The brand’s vision was clear,” Mesura co-founder and partner Carlos Dimas Carmona says. “They wanted a space that went beyond beauty and resonated with the public through meaningful design.”
Adding sustainability as the fourth dimension to Aesop’s vision for the space—which was to be social, timeless, and local—Mesura concluded that stone was the most appropriate material to use due to its durability, resistance and locality. Playing with references to the history of Barcelona’s public fountains to create a social atmosphere within the store, the use of KMO stone would further embed the concept within the context of its historical landscape and cultural story.
“Much effort was put into finding valuable, reusable materials,” Carmona continues. “After numerous attempts to repurpose stones from the Sagrada Familia, we discovered an old quarry where remnants of demolished buildings in Barcelona, constructed with Montjuïc stone, were stored. This exclusive stone, found only in the city, turned out to be a perfect fit for our purpose,” Carmona adds.
Aesop’s new store in Barcelona is rooted in identity and sustainability. In a distinctly local approach, the project reuses KMO stones from the Montjuïc quarry that have withstood the test of time.
Textured stucco walls contrast with the sleek floor finish and refined stucco ceiling. Stainless steel elements are carefully selected to add functionality to the space and enhance the appeal of the stones and the store.
In a sort of lifecycle, the pieces were seen as transitory elements with past lives, coming to land at Aesop’s new store.
The project is valuable because it demonstrates how forgotten pieces can be recycled and reused in the future.
Montjuïc stone is no longer extracted due to limited availability, so working hand-in-hand with the Barbany family—whose legacy of working on the city’s buildings and monuments runs 130 years deep—was integral to the design approach. Having spent years gathering fragments from demolished nineteenth-century buildings, the family’s commitment to preserving the material enabled Mesura to uncover pieces from Gothic quarter structures, ancient fountains and archways.
Mesura describes their process as ‘Creative Anastylosis’—a derivative of the Greek term for reconstructing ancient monuments by piecing their scattered parts together with precision. Flipping the concept around, their approach begins with materials and evolves into creativity rather than starting with an idea to turn into reality.
“The project aims to emphasise the beauty of the stone by creating a space that serves as a blank canvas,” Mesura co-founder and partner Benjamin Iborra Wicksteed says. “Textured stucco walls are juxtaposed with the sleek floor finish and the refined stucco ceiling. Stainless steel elements are carefully selected to add functionality to the space and enhance the appeal of the stones and the store—it is a game of contrasts between lightness and delicacy to density, thickness, and weight,” Iborra Wicksteed says.
The Aesop Diagonal design concept reflects the essence of its city and bygone generations, and it could only be possible in Barcelona. Highlighting the value of existing resources and artisan talent, the project demonstrates the ways in which pieces that may have been long forgotten can be brought back to life.
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