photos by Kenta Hasegawa courtesy Schemata Architects
“Wearable Tokyo.” That’s the concept of En Route, the new select shop and concept brand backed by Japanese fashion powerhouse United Arrows. “No cars, no taxis, no buses, no trains” reads the mission statement. Just walking, cycling and running.
And their new store that just opened in Ginza proposes a new metropolitan life that blends city casual with contemporary running wear.
The new store, which opened in September, is comprised of industrial materials commonly used in construction sites such as FRP piping, wooden boxes and steel frames. A variety of domestic and international brands line the racks. But En Route doesn’t want to be referred to simply as a select shop. They’ve, quite literally, gone the distance to connect fashion with sports by installing a “Running Station” on the 2nd floor of the shop. There you’ll find locker rooms, showers, powder spaces as well as maps that recommend running routes through the metropolitan streets of Tokyo.
“The running station dramatically connects the existing staggered floors with approximately 3.7-meter gap in between, generating active ‘movements’- which is one of main design elements,” says architect Jo Nagasaka, who designed the space.
