Textured wall surfaces used to display soap, candles and perfumes arch over the interior of this shop in New York City, which Brooklyn studio Tacklebox Architecture designed for Portuguese brand Claus Porto.

The nooks present items sold by the 131-year-old beauty and fragrance company, at the store that Tacklebox created like an alleyway.

The freestanding arched structure measures 42 feet (13 metres) long, and runs the length of the 550-square-foot (51-square-metre) space in Manhattan's Nolita neighbourhood.

Crinkles cover the inside of the curving element, providing dozens of ledges for products to sit on.

"Milled from Portuguese cork, 1,500 faceted diamond tiles reference the tiled façade of the historic Casa dos Bicos in Lisbon," said Tacklebox.

The vaulted design also takes cues from the arched portals of São Bento train station in Porto, and the decorative, geometric azulejo tiles found across Portugal.

"The arch is a subtle reference to Porto's São Bento train station, that was first proposed in 1887 – the same year that Claus Porto was founded – and serves as a portal into that cultural heritage," the studio said.

The structure is painted white, accompanying white wood floors, white walls, and a light blue door in the rear.

Lighting by local firm Loop is intended to make some areas feel intimate and cosy, while the main area is very bright and exposed.

A free-standing marble sink is positioned at the centre of the arched volume, and its light blue veiny composition matches the door behind.

The sink is designed "in reference to a baptismal font and as a celebration of the ritual of daily cleansing", said the studio.

The washbasin is also carved from the same block of Estremoz marble used for the basin in Claus Porto's flagship store in Porto.

Tacklebox has created interiors for a handful of stores owned by Australian beauty brand Aesop, in New York's Upper East Side, Georgetown and San Francisco.

A Miami concept store designed by OHLAB features a similar white arched interior, where panels are cut out to make room for display shelves.

Photography is by Eric Petschek.

Project credits:

Client: Claus Porto, Ricardo Cunha Vaz
Creative director: Claus Porto, Anne Margreet Honing
Fabrication: Digifabshop
Lighting: Loop Lighting
General contracting: Thomas Fitzgerald