Typology corner and pop-up
French skincare brand's first store

In its five years, Typology has become known for its wide range of high-quality products based on natural ingredients – a philosophy the brand has translated to its packaging through the use of raw aluminum. For the space, Snøhetta has drawn inspiration from the brand's packaging design and incorporating undulations in the metal form at the heart of the space, reminiscent of the way the product wrinkles after use.

Before the opening of the permanent space, Snøhetta and Danish Natural Material Studio designed and developed a Typology pop-up store at the main entrance of Printemps Haussmann woman. This space was created to give visitors a taste of Typology's first permanent physical expression.

The installation is built on a concept of Japanese theatre play projecting the Typology skincare onto the Natural Material Studio's own bio textiles and designing bespoke display objects for Typology’s products. These materials are made using a unique molding technique and process called Procel – a composition of natural polymers based on proteins, natural softener, reishi mushroom, and chalk. The result is individual works that are rich in texture and visually intriguing. The material is natural, biodegradable, and compostable at home and can be remelted.

As a transdisciplinary practice, collaboration is at the heart of every Snøhetta project. Furthermore, material exploration is an essential part of Snøhetta’s processes, so the collaboration with Natural Material Studio and Typology created the perfect symbioses for this project. The result is a natural, holistic concept that captures the essence of the three brands.

"Snøhetta Studio Paris are honored to have the opportunity to design the first physical retail space for Typology. We hope this will be the beginning of a long relationship with Typology and we wish them well on this launch. This project also shows our constant desire to collaborate. We found the perfect harmony between material and concept by working with Natural Material Studio. The corner and the pop-up emphasize materiality, not fussy detailing, in line with Typology's natural approach."
Oliver Page, managing Director, Snøhetta Paris

The team worked closely with both Typology and Natural Material throughout the process.

"Typology is a digital brand, and this first step with Printemps marks a turning point for deployment in physical retail. We will work with a limited number of partners who understand our long-term intentions, complementing our digital sales channel, which will remain our strength."
Ning Li, founder of Typology

“With our cross-disciplinary and systemic way of working, we aim to bring the human-nature collaboration to the forefront to set the agenda for how we believe art, technology, and science should synergize.”
Bonnie Hvillum, founder of Natural Material Studio