Discarded Stone-Incorporated Stores

Aesop's Barcelona store, designed by Spanish architecture studio Mesura, demonstrates a sustainability-driven approach through the extensive reuse of reclaimed stone.

The project centers on material circularity, incorporating salvaged fragments from historic fountains, archways, and Gothic-era buildings across the city. Rather than extracting new resources, "the studio repurposed 78 pieces of Montjuïc stone sourced from a nearby defunct quarry operated by a local stonemason preserving remnants of demolished 19th-century structures."

Montjuïc stone, once native to Barcelona and no longer quarried due to scarcity, was carefully cleaned and restored before installation. The interior comprises a single, asymmetrical room defined by substantial basins and shelving formed from these reclaimed elements. By recontextualizing discarded architectural artefacts, the design reduces material waste while conserving embodied carbon. Installed with precision using a small crane, the stones retain their historical integrity, reinforcing the project’s commitment to responsible sourcing, resource efficiency, and long-term environmental stewardship.

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