The Altar of the Self by Saan Saan

When we were approached by Mark of SAAN SAAN (@saansaanph) to work on a pop-up booth for this year’s Purveyr Fair, he shared his initial ideas on how he wanted the space to feel.

His main inspiration was a Japanese temple, in line with his plan of releasing new products: a line of incense sticks alongside SAAN SAAN’s usual scent offerings. Another important part of the brief was that the design had to be in parts, modular, and (ideally) collapsible.

The first iteration of “The Altar of the Self” consisted of more double layered panels for maximum collapsibility.

The design took references from different parts of Japanese temples and altars, re-interpreted to fit a pop-up space: The prominent roof made from wooden frames with taut fabrics, shelves that mimic shoji screen doors, a detail for the main counter that mimics a saisen-bako (coin box in temples), an incense stand made of wood instead of the usual steel or ceramic urn.

We also designed additional pieces to showcase the existing scent samples. We presented several options for layouts for Purveyr Fair making use of the modules, as well as other possibilities for future pop-ups big or small.

The booth design for @saansaanph went through some changes, making it more cost-effective. Single layer panels swapped collapsibility for less materials. CNC-cut local marine plywood allowed for a less-expensive but quick build. Swing doors were replaced with noren curtains, giving the design more of a “shop” feel. The display modules were replaced with existing shop shelves (which we previously did). But the main elements were still retained: the wood incense stand at the center of the space, the cloth roof, translucent shelving glowing softly from the back. And the altar with a mirror replacing the usual figure of a deity, as if beckoning people to approach and instead of praying to some higher power, introspect and look at one’s self. Similar to how scent is sometimes experienced.

The design was awarded as the best booth display at the recent Purveyr Fair.

Project Type: Event Installation

Location: Ortigas

Status: Completed

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The Altar of the Self by Saan Saan