An unsuspecting world of Paris-based architect and designer India Mahdavi can be found in the heart of Tokyo, located in the bustling area of Omotesando.

French macaron and pastry specialist Ladurée enlisted India Mahdavi to create the store interior for its latest salon de thé in Tokyo’s Aoyama district. Although suitably inline for Japan’s enduring affection for the culture of cuteness, the Garden Of Delights-like space presents a whimsical store experience that is sure to provoke any imagination.

Here, Ladurée’s own delicacies become literal forms among the store design where their colours and silhouettes are manifested into bespoke furniture and lighting. Find scalloped lounges, flowered light fixtures and rounded cushions alongside celadon green walls and brass detailing. The scalloped lounges in dark lavender and lime green tones feature a contrast in velvet and leather compositions, with the rounded edges offering an overall softness.

There’s a sophisticated Willy Wonka-likeness to the design, where table trunks resemble twisted cane matching the ceiling’s twist detailing and white cane seating. The checkered grey and white marble floor extends throughout the entire space, balanced by overhead glass lighting that has been hand-blown into meringue-shaped profiles.

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“I wanted to bring some Frenchness to Tokyo and make this place a full experience inside and outside.”
– India Mahdavi
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Although Ladurée can be found in three other locations throughout Tokyo, this is the fourth outpost of the French patisserie and the first designed by Mahdavi in the capital but is by no means her first. Mahdavi has already executed store designs for Ladurée in Los Angeles and Geneva respectively.

Mahdavi brings her signature saccharine-style to Ladurée Aoyama, alongside the distinct aesthetics of the Palace of Versaille’s central gallery Hall of Mirrors, all with a Marie Antoinette twist. “I am here to bring joy, and Ladurée’s essence is closely connected to enjoyment. When the delicate meets taste. I wanted to bring some Frenchness to Tokyo and make this place a full experience inside and outside,” says Mahdavi.

The pastel-hued interior is certainly not to be underestimated, as the grandiose world also surprisingly extends to the detailing of the guest bathrooms. A pleasant extension and testament to Mahdavi’s detailed excellence in store design.

Photography courtesy India Mahdavi.

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