Since the store is underground, how do the trees in the center grow?
In photos of the flagship store, greenery is visible behind the clothes, which makes one wonder since it does not easily connect with the store being underground. Knowing what is actually planted before visiting gives you a different perspective when you go.
Taking into account that the store is underground, Korean mountain ash, Korean winter hazel, royal azalea, and moss—which grow well even in cool shade—were selected and planted.
It is easier to understand if you first look at the structure of the space. RECTO's flagship store spans two floors centered around a courtyard[1]. The 1st floor serves as a reception and lounge, and going down one floor is where the collection unfolds in earnest[2]. This means the area where you view the clothes is underground, and the greenery seen behind the clothes in photos is the square green space in the center of the architecture encountered at that lower height[3].
The plants were also chosen to suit those conditions. Taking into account the underground location, Korean mountain ash, Korean winter hazel, royal azalea, and moss were planted[4]. All four are varieties that maintain their vitality even in cool shade, and because their heights differ, natural layers of height are created[5]. Generally, plants that grow in shade maintain their leaf condition longer in places with less light and sustained humidity rather than strong direct sunlight. Among them, moss thrives in moisture and shade, so it is often used to cover the ground.
hmmm, this greenery is closer to a result of first accepting the condition of being underground and filling it with things that can live there, rather than a decoration brought in to embellish the space. As the women's and men's sections are separated with this green space in between[6], it is likely not a coincidence that greenery catches the edge of your sight no matter which side you are viewing clothes from.
We have not yet confirmed how the courtyard opens to the sky or in what manner light and water are supplied to the plants.