Nendo designs Backyard by | n retail space for Seibu Sogo department store in Japan

Japan studio Nendo has designed the retail space for Backyard by | n, an original brand with all nendo-designed products located in the Seibu Sogo department stores in Tokyo’s Ikebukuro and Shibuya, and in the Yokohama Sogo department store. Backyard refers both to a shop’s storage space or loading dock and a tiny paradise for children, an outdoor space for free play. “We wanted to combine the novelty of the commercial back yard, in which new products arrive straight from the workshop, with the excitement of playing in the back yard at home” explain designers.

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Simple white fixtures bring out the rich variety of the different products, and the plinths and stands’ plywood texture appears gradually towards the base. Most shops hide the plywood base of their fixtures under licks of paint, so showing it like this brings the shop’s ‘backyard’ into the shop itself, casually and nonchalantly creating a link between the hidden world of production and the shopping experience. “We thought this design would offer a tantalising glimpse into the back of the shop, and provide a space that’s truly appropriate as a Backyard” add designers.

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