Belle Lab

Hiroyuki Oki

• Architects

Belle Lab, located on Nguyen Hue Street in Saigon, is Vietnam’s first holistic beauty space, offering natural, honest ingredients in a market often dominated by synthetic products. The design aims to cut through the clutter of typical cosmetics stores by creating a calm, focused environment that reflects Belle Lab's philosophy: beauty is a journey of self-care. The three-story store is designed to guide visitors through different beauty stages—makeup on the ground floor, skincare on the second floor, and personalized consultations on the top floor—offering a seamless and immersive experience.

photo_credit Hiroyuki Oki — Hiroyuki Oki

Challenges:

The primary challenge was creating a space that breaks away from the overwhelming, transactional nature of typical cosmetics stores. The design needed to balance functionality with tranquility, offering a peaceful, focused shopping experience that still feels engaging and informative. Additionally, the store had to accommodate different customer needs—from browsing to personal consultations—while maintaining a cohesive atmosphere across multiple levels.

Material Selection & Design Intent:

The materials selected for Belle Lab reflect the brand’s values of authenticity, natural beauty, and Vietnamese heritage, while guiding the customer through an immersive beauty journey.

● White Terrazzo (Ground Floor): This material was chosen for its light, airy quality, which helps create an open, welcoming space. In Vietnam, terrazzo is commonly found in public areas, and its use at the store’s entrance sets a neutral tone for the customer’s experience. The clean, simple nature of terrazzo invites focus and clarity, signaling the beginning of a journey into beauty. It helps visitors feel calm and at ease as they enter the store to explore makeup products.

● Terracotta (Second Floor): As visitors move to the second floor, the material shifts to terracotta, which adds warmth and depth. Terracotta is associated with traditional Vietnamese courtyards, evoking a sense of grounding and connection to nature. This material supports the transition from makeup to skincare, emphasizing the deeper, nurturing care that skincare represents. Its rich color and texture enhance the feeling of moving inward, encouraging visitors to slow down and engage more deeply with their self-care routines.

● Bamboo (Third Floor): The top floor, dedicated to personalized consultations, features bamboo, a material closely linked to Vietnamese homes and natural living. Bamboo’s soft, tactile texture and sustainable nature create an intimate, private atmosphere conducive to reflection and self-discovery. It symbolizes Belle Lab’s commitment to sustainability and natural beauty while reinforcing the personal, individualized service provided in this space. Bamboo also complements the overall flow of the design, from public to private, external to internal, encouraging customers to feel comfortable, supported, and at peace.