May 31, 2020

Recovery Salon in Shanghai Offers High-Tech Treatments with Interiors by Atelier I-N-D-J

In Shanghai, Recovery is a state-of-the-art beauty salon that specializes in high-tech light therapy that treats the skin. Designed by local design studio Atelier I-N-D-J, the interior offers a meditative retreat with a scientific edge. At 1,600 square feet, the L-shaped salon opens onto a cantilevering reception desk that appears to be floating in space. Around the bend, a series of private treatment rooms are lined with vertical strips of crumpled paper at once delicate and rough. Hiding behind this eccentric façade are curved doors that rustle as they pivot open. As I-N-D-J founder Ian Douglas-Jones puts it, this creates “a satisfying noise that breaks the usual quiet, and a visceral addition to the somewhat ceremonial feel of opening these large doors.”

The beauty salon features monochromatic interiors composed of different textures. Photography by Ian Douglas-Jones
A colorful seating area is sheltered by diaphanous curtains and a crumpled paper façade made using a ‘bolt rope’ technique common in sail-making. Photography by Ian Douglas-Jones
Sheets of crumpled paper are suspended from a mirrored reception counter effortlessly cantilevering from the wall. Photography by Ian Douglas-Jones.
The reception desk features an iridescent rainbow-hued finish. Photography by Ian Douglas-Jones
The beauty salon is located inside the Nendo-designed Times Square Mall in Shanghai; a discreet curtain helps shield the interior from passers-by looking in. Photography by Ian Douglas-Jones

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