The architecture studio ASKA has unveiled the new Lumene Group Experience Center, a 250-square-metre corporate and event space on Hötorget square in central Stockholm, Sweden. This remarkable interior design project acts as a dynamic hub, connected directly to the Lumene Group’s Stockholm office, hosting everything from press briefings and influencer gatherings to executive meetings. While it functions as a comprehensive showroom for the eponymous brand, the Experience Center is meticulously designed to also spotlight other core beauty brand names within the group, including IDA WARG Beauty and CUTRIN, all while staying anchored in a profound sense of Nordic heritage.
The fundamental design concept for the facility is a poetic abstraction of natural elements, turning the atmosphere into a subtle, living landscape. “After studying the products up close, we began to see echoes of fog, sunset and water reflections in their hues and textures, which sparked the idea of the space as an abstracted landscape shaped by those sensations,” explained designer William Wikström, who collaborated closely with ASKA. The core idea translates specific natural phenomena—such as the shimmer of water, the delicate pink sky, the texture of melting ice, and the warm sunset light—into a succession of immersive spatial experiences. According to Wikström, this approach was crucial, as “Natural phenomena are never constant or clearly defined, which suited us well, as we wanted the interiors to feel alive, in subtle, continuous motion, dissolving from one space to another.”
The resulting aesthetic is defined by soft pastel hues and soothing, rounded shapes, where the colours were drawn directly from the cosmetics themselves. ASKA architect Polina Sandström noted that the tones were “carefully fine-tuned to mirror the specific ‘scenery’ of each space, like the pink sky in the lounge.” This concept is beautifully illustrated in the main spaces, including a room with rosy pink walls and historic stucco, and a pale-yellow kitchen area. ASKA‘s approach extends to the external environment as well; Sandström detailed how the colour palette subtly picks up on the pink and orange façades typical of Stockholm, and even the iconic blue concert hall visible from the windows, establishing a harmonious dialogue between the interior design and the city’s architecture.
A central feature of the Experience Center is the spectacular Waterfall Bar, one of the signature custom installationsbuilt to evoke a natural northern landscape. The bar is composed of sweeping curved sections of frosted plexiglasscoupled with precision-cut mirror discs. This combination masterfully suggests “a snow-covered terrain with streams of meltwater floating in between,” blurring the lines between solid and liquid form. Further demonstrating this inventive material use, Wikström explained: “Glass became a major player in the project, with a glass tabletop evoking the surface of water, acid-etched and sandblasted glass capturing the sensation of rising fog.” The intense work to achieve these effects also involved extensive testing with light temperature and diffusion film prints to fine-tune the colour and glow of focal points like a light installation that shifts between the fiery sunset and cool moonlight.
A pervasive circular design language runs throughout the space, serving as a unifying thematic and symbolic thread. This form is immediately visible in the large, rounded light installation resembling the sun. It also extends to the custom-made display shelves and the forms of the bar and podiums. “We chose to work with a defined circular form to highlight the circle on Lumene’s logo, reflect their values around circular beauty and draw on the cycles of nature and light,” Sandström commented. These simple geometries bring clarity to the design, with round shapes acting almost like a lens to frame selected areas and create essential focal points that invite customer engagement.
In a move reinforcing their holistic vision, ASKA ensured that the vast majority of the furnishings were custom-designed furniture and produced specifically for the project, maintaining a cohesive spatial flow. The few off-the-shelf pieces were deliberately sourced to spotlight innovative Nordic talent and sustainable practices. This includes the use of sculptural handles from Spaces Within and chairs and stools produced by Swedish brand Scherlin Form, which were custom-foiled and crafted from 100% recycled plastic. This attention to detail, blending art and high-end retail design with an environmental consciousness, ensures the Lumene Group Experience Center is a truly modern and responsible interior.