Architects Want to Look Good, too!

Today many architects take care of their image. But they also have the ability to imagine carefully the places designed for hair and beauty. We have put together a list of ten cool beauty salons. Which one is your favourite?

Many of them are located in Japan. Re:SONO designed by YAMAZAKI KENTARO DESIGN WORKSHOP is a hair salon that you can go to once a week. The architects' desire was that when viewed from the street, passersby can feel the openness of the atmosphere such as that of a 3D image of a park.

In Osaka Onico Hair by Ryo Isobe Design is imagined like a treasure hunt in the woods. Birch trees are dotted around the space, amongst a styling area containing assorted chairs and mirrors, with a mixture of lanterns, chandeliers and bare light bulbs from the ceiling.

The End Link Salon by Yasunari Tsukada design was inspired by the owner's passionate desire to turn it into a destination for "the last word in beauty". Keeping the number of partitions to an absolute minimum and painting the entire space white achieved a feeling of abstraction, as well as a sense of giving equal importance to both the new and old materials that comprise the walls, ceilings, and floors. The result was an interior that gave pride of place to the people and objects within it.

In Nagoya there is a beauty shop called Little one-room with a curve by Studio Velocity; the three different spaces are not visible from the entrance, as you walk into the back, because of the building’s curve. The shampoo space is located in the back: you can look up at the sky from the shampoo basin.

Her Majesty’s Pleasure  by + tongtong is equal parts café, retail boutique, beauty salon and bar, all located under one roof in downtown Toronto. Architecturally, the space seamlessly reflects this multi-purpose program, blurring the lines between each zone. By reiterating materials, patterns and concepts across each area, Her Majesty’s Pleasure feels cohesive and connected throughout the space. “We aimed to bridge a sense of casual elegance and refinement with that of a more natural, tactile and edgy environment”, says Tong. 

In Amsterdam The Building Hair salon by Nicemakers is not a typical salon with all seats in a row. The architects designed movable mirrors to keep on changing the layout of the salon. All furniture is vintage. 

Missy Lui by sasufi is located on a busy street in Armadale. By using a limited palette of materials, including solid Tasmanian oak, bamboo flooring, pastel colours and hanging plants, a minimalist yet humble, warm and welcoming venue is created.

In Munich Salon Nemetz is conceived like the social heart of Christina Nemetz's life: her stage, her workshop and her living-room. the design is also mindful of the fact that many customers like to linger after their hair is done.

The furnishings are a delightful mixture of Alice’s Wonderland, a cabinet of curiosities, and an over-sized Tetris game.

YMS Center hair salon by Kitsch Nitsch, in the centre of Ljubljana, inspired to the 70s and 80s brilliance of postmodernism, with the use of strong graphics and over the top furniture. 

gfra architecture designed an Hair Salon in Atene. The overall space is the result of combination of two elements: the existing shell, with an industrial character, refering to the construction phase, and the new shell, with its free forms and more refined materials addressing the function of the shop.