prada's boutique store in tokyo has backlit 'sponge' walls designed by OMA

prada has again collaborated with OMA, the architecture firm founded by rem koolhaas, in the design of its boutique store in tokyo. forming part of the miyashita park shopping mall in the city’s shibuya district, the 300 square meter single-storey outlet offers a selection of clothing, bags, accessories, and footwear for men and women in unisex and thematic versions.

all images courtesy of prada

opening onto the street, the external façade includes a large window that presents passersby with a view into the dreamlike, yet minimal interior. a black and white chequered floor extends throughout the space, while the walls are clad with backlit green sponge — a material designed by OMA in 2002 for the prada epicenter in los angeles. referred to as ‘prada sponge’, its development started with an architectural model made using a regular cleaning sponge.

‘as the visual effect of this backlit texture was very intriguing, an extensive search was initiated to recreate this material in 1:1 scale,’ OMA said at the time. ‘many hundred tests and prototypes were handmade in order to test hole sizes, percentages of openness, translucencies, depths, colors, etc.. simultaneously, mass production and 3D computer modeling techniques were investigated that could help translate the properties of the handcrafted prototypes and all technical requirements into the final product.’

elsewhere in the store, the luminous ceiling and video wall of the backdrop allow the displayed products to command full attention. found at the center of the space, aluminum display elements enhance the minimal aesthetic and contemporary feel of the interior.

available products include bags, backpacks, accessories, and shoes made of brand new re-nylon, a selection of visual books from prada, as well as exclusive cotton poplin T-shirts featuring original prints dedicated to the store’s opening. one such garment features the prada oval logo, which has been reinterpreted by OMA to include the prada miyashita park store name, and a travel tag print with TYO (tokyo) symbols. see the T-shirt designs below.