Lei — In Praise of Shadows

Fragrance is typically experienced through scent, but how it is discovered also depends on factors such as pace, attention, and atmosphere. At Lei, the SOL style transforms the act of selecting a fragrance into a more intimate sensory experience. Inspired by Jun’ichirō Tanizaki’s *In Praise of Shadows*, the space explores how darkness can enhance awareness of materials, reflections, and scents. The experience begins outside on the street, where a dark film covers the glass façade, with only Lei’s circular “0” serving as an entry point. Passers-by can catch a glimpse of a narrow band of light and the flicker of candle flames within. This partial view creates an initial impression of the interior while maintaining an air of anticipation. Upon crossing the threshold, perceptions begin to shift. The ambient light diminishes, making the candles and illuminated mirrors the primary sources of light. As visitors' eyes adjust to the room, small variations in surfaces, movements, and reflections become more noticeable. This carefully crafted atmosphere allows fragrances to unfold gradually. Scent is experienced through focused attention and proximity, supported by an interior that encourages visitors to appreciate subtle differences. The shop serves as a space for discovery, where light, wood, and lacquer contribute to the overall character of the experience. Japanese cypress and ginkgo wood form the display surfaces. Hinoki is chosen for the central counter, evoking the fine fragrance and cultural significance of timber long used in sacred architecture. Ginkgo, known for its smooth grain, provides a more delicate setting for the fragrance products. Both types of wood are hand-finished with traditional urushi lacquer. Candlelight and mirror reflections dance across the deep gloss, gradually revealing the wood grain as visitors shift their positions. The surfaces appear different from various angles, offering the interior a subtle sense of movement. The black bases of the fixtures blend into the shadows, allowing the lacquered tops, fragrance bottles, and reflected flames to appear visually suspended in the room. Raw concrete walls absorb light, introducing a mineral texture alongside the polished wood. This interplay between gloss and roughness adds material depth to the shop. Hinoki, ginkgo, urushi, and concrete are experienced through their responses to limited light, allowing traditional craftsmanship to take on a contemporary role within the fragrance environment. The circular opening in the façade encapsulates the project's broader concept. Lei reveals its interior gradually, inviting visitors to follow a path from one illuminated fragment to a fuller sensory experience. Curiosity begins outside and continues through the evolving reflections within the room. The SOL style has created a shop where shadows play an active role in hospitality. It slows down the experience, enhancing attention to scent and touch, and gives the selection of fragrance a personal sense of ceremony. At Lei, luxury is felt through the time and concentration devoted to a single, carefully observed moment. **EDITOR'S REVIEW** The project skillfully utilizes darkness as a key element in retail design. By carefully curating ambient light, the space enhances the senses of smell, reflection, and tactile materiality, creating a deeply immersive environment. The surfaces, finished with urushi and made from hinoki and ginkgo wood, display exceptional craftsmanship, seamlessly blending their cultural significance with a contemporary, functional role that elegantly showcases products and candlelight. Thecircular opening in the façade fosters a coherent public identity, inviting curiosity through a carefully framed view that enhances the interior experience.

Lei expertly leverages the power of shadows, transforming them into productive elements that intensify scent, reflection, texture, and the visitor's awareness of movement. The circular view from the street establishes a sense of discipline before entering, setting a calm tone for the experience. SOL style presents a sophisticated vision by reimagining traditional materials in modern ways, turning hinoki, ginkgo, and urushi into focal points. This sense of restraint defines the shop’s unique luxury, where every detail encourages quiet contemplation.

**IMAGE 01 — DARKENED FAÇADE AND CIRCULAR APERTURE** A black film covers the glazed façade, leaving only the brand's circular opening visible. From the street, only candlelight and a narrow illuminated area can be seen. **IMAGE 02 — CENTRAL HINOKI COUNTER** The solid timber counter occupies the darkest area of the shop, presenting a calm horizontal surface. Its urushi finish reflects small points of light and invites consultation. **IMAGE 03 — GINKGO DISPLAY TOP** Fine-grained timber serves as an exquisite platform for fragrance objects. The dark lacquer highlights subtle features, while the black base blends into the shadows. **IMAGE 04 — CANDLELIGHT ON URUSHI** Flame reflections dance across the polished surface, shifting with movement. This image illustrates how the finish enhances low light, creating a sense of material depth. **IMAGE 05 — RAW CONCRETE WALL** The matte, textured wall absorbs surrounding light and offers a quiet, mineral contrast to the glossy timber displays. **IMAGE 06 — MIRROR LIGHT** A concealed illuminated mirror provides a controlled line of brightness. The reflections of products and visitor movements expand the room's perception without increasing the overall light levels. **IMAGE 07 — PRODUCT IN DEEP SHADOW** A small fragrance object is set within a limited pool of light. Its scale and surface become more pronounced against the nearly black surrounding area. **IMAGE 08 — VIEW THROUGH THE “0”** The interior is visible from outside through the circular cut-out. This framed view establishes the shop as a world revealed through partial vision.

The shop features a dark, glazed façade with a circular opening that provides the only direct view from the street. As visitors enter, they transition from bright exterior light into a dimly lit retail room. This sequence prompts visual adaptation, making the threshold an essential part of the experience. At the center, a hinoki wood counter facilitates consultations and product handling. Smaller displays with solid ginkgo wood tops surround this central space, set against a shadowy backdrop. Black-painted fixture bases minimize visual bulk, while raw concrete walls create a continuous, light-absorbing perimeter. Candlelight, mirrored illumination, and discreet, narrow light sources help establish orientation without the use of uniform ceiling lighting. The ambiance is further enriched by sound and fragrance, extending the spatial experience beyond visual cues and encouraging a leisurely exploration of the compact interior. Unfortunately, a complete set of dimensioned drawings was not available in the accessible submission. This spatial analysis is based on the original description and the documented relationships among the façade, counter, displays, and lighting.

Lei - In Praise of Shadows – The "Lei -In Praise of Shadows-" shop is a retail space offering an immersive experience into the aesthetic world of "In Praise of Shadows." The experience begins at the facade, where the glass is covered by a dark film featuring a cutout of Lei’s signature "0" (circle). Through this aperture, only the space beneath the bar light and the faint flicker of candles are revealed, quietly expressing the world of shadows to the outside. Inside, materials are selected with profound care to resonate with Lei's craftsmanship. The display tops utilize solid Japanese Cypress (Hinoki) and Ginkgo (Icho), finished by hand using traditional Japanese "Urushi" lacquer to create deep, glossy surfaces that beautifully reflect the flickering candlelight and mirror lighting. For the central counter, Hinoki was selected. Historically revered in sacred architecture and known for its calming fragrance, its presence subtly harmonizes with the store's purpose of handling scents, grounding the space in tradition. For the display fixtures, Ginkgo was chosen for its fine, smooth grain. This delicate texture serves as an elegant stage, allowing the products to stand out. While these lustrous wooden surfaces catch the light, the bases of the fixtures are painted entirely black, designed to dissolve into the surrounding darkness. The ambient light is intentionally reduced to a state of deep shadow. This darkness eliminates visual noise, allowing the candlelight and mirror lighting to emerge as the protagonists. The contrast between the glossy depth of the Urushi lacquer and the raw texture of the concrete walls creates a profound silence, sublimating the act of choosing a scent into a meditative experience.

Lei - In Praise of Shadows – Construction: Masazumi Adachi Urushi table top: Tasuku Murose Sound design: Justin North Photo & Movie: Koya Yamashiro All inventions: Yasuyuki Nagato

Prepared for Merci Magazine × Sky Design Awards 2026