Re-engineered for: Faster installation Lower fabrication costs Seismic resistance Additional design element

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This shapely island winding its way from the floor to the top of the store through crisp angles and turns is the focal point of shu uemura boutiques. The recognizable branding icon emblazoned with the logo serves as a counter inviting shoppers to test lipsticks and other cosmetics products displayed on the uplit glass surface. The approachable quality is enhanced by the structure's light, breezy look. The translucent base visually expands the store's small footprint.

"It really is functional art,'' says Brian Murphy, senior project manager for shu uemura USA. “It is designed to be a seamless, sensual form.''

The crisp fixture received a make-over for the South Coast Plaza store, which opened in November 2006. Marc Sagrillo, vice president of business development of High County Millwork, re-engineered the framework design used in a previous store. His version, which eliminated about 85 percent of the steel, allowed for quicker, more efficient installation. The revamped design also was less costly and allowed for an added feature—a continuous band of light along the edging.

The changes also address seismic activity. The acrylic base panels are set into channels in the floor, the metal frame locks the counter onto the base, and steel posts run from the suspended mirror up through the canopy and into building's structural decking.

Like other fixtures in the store, the Color Bar evokes a sleek, airy look while concealing a sturdy foundation and electrical components.

"It's very clean, very simple—utilitarian, yet elegant,'' Sagrillo says. "Simplicity sometimes is difficult to pull off."

Perimeter fixtures, also built and installed by High Country Millwork, preserve the sleek look with drawers and cabinets sans knobs or pulls. Dozens of T-5 fluorescent light fixtures built into the structure add a pleasant glow to the glass shelves and back walls. The look, Sagrillo says, is designed to be bright and even, without hot spots or shadows.