Editor’s Note: Some spaces redefine luxury by moving beyond what is expected and allowing experience to take centre stage. Tressoro Bombay in Colaba transforms a nearly four-decade-old store into an immersive setting where architecture, craft, and display come together. Stripping away the existing interiors revealed a soaring 16-foot volume with original teak girders, which became the foundation for the new design. Arched portals, curved forms, and a sculptural staircase soften the triangular plan while creating layered views through the store. Grey Indian patterned IPS, Kota stone, brass, green marble, and aquamarine terrazzo form a restrained backdrop for jewellery and watches. Movable display units conceived as cabinets of curiosities keep the experience flexible, while a hidden bar and curved lounge introduce moments of hospitality. The result shifts luxury from visual excess towards discovery, tactility, and memory. ~ Yashika Bajaniya
Tressoro Bombay is a legacy brand with over four decades of history. It began as an eclectic destination for art, sculpture, antiques, and jewellery. Over time, it evolved into a name associated with curated luxury. The brand expanded internationally, particularly in London, where it focused on high-end jewellery and watches.
Located in the culturally rich precinct of Colaba, just steps from the Gateway of India, the store holds a unique position. It serves both long-standing patrons and global visitors discovering the city. This setting shapes the store’s identity, connecting its heritage with a contemporary experience of luxury.
South Bombay Finds A New Language Of Luxury Through Tressoro Bombay | DR&W: Design, Research and Workshop
When the brand approached DR&W for a complete reinvention, the ambition extended beyond a mere spatial upgrade. The intent was to redefine luxury itself—not as a predictable visual language, but as an immersive, sensorial experience. The project sought to transform the store into an environment that would linger in memory, where architecture, materiality, and display coalesce to heighten the act of viewing and acquiring objects of value.
The existing space had remained untouched for nearly 40 years. A heavy false ceiling and clinical, whitewashed interiors made the space feel constrained. The fragmented display systems also lacked cohesion and felt purely utilitarian.
The first architectural gesture was one of subtraction. The design stripped the space down to its bare shell, revealing a generous 16-foot-high volume framed by old teak wood girders. What was once concealed became the foundation of the new design narrative.
The plan of the store, nearly triangular and tapering towards one end, introduced both a challenge and an opportunity. Rather than resisting this geometry, the design embraces and softens it through the introduction of curves and sculptural insertions. Arched portals emerge as a defining motif—transforming the façade into a series of thresholds that frame the interior, while also establishing a spatial language that carries throughout the store.
The design introduces a mezzanine level within the newly revealed volume. Rather than functioning as a detached floor, it extends the main retail area visually and spatially. Its placement responds to the geometry of the plan, creating layered views and a continuous connection between levels.
The staircase leading to the mezzanine becomes a central sculptural element. Its fluid form softens the sharp geometry of the triangular plan. It also anchors the overall spatial experience.
Materiality plays a critical role in redefining the perception of luxury within the store. Moving away from conventional opulence, the palette is intentionally subdued, tactile, and grounded. Grey Indian patterned IPS surfaces envelop the space, complemented by cladding in custom-cut Kota stone bricks. This textured, almost monolithic backdrop allows the brilliance of diamonds, precious metals, and crafted objects to emerge with heightened clarity. A contrasting aquamarine terrazzo floor introduces a subtle vibrancy, its sinuous junction with the walls articulated through a carefully detailed IPS skirting that seamlessly merges vertical and horizontal planes.
The ceiling, with its exposed teak girders, is reinterpreted through an innovative lighting intervention. Slanted wooden panels, integrated with concealed lighting, create a layered lattice that evokes the softness of filtered daylight. Combined with natural light entering through the arched façade, the atmosphere remains diffused and contemplative, reinforcing the idea of a subliminal luxury experience.
At the storefront, the arched portals double as vitrines—framed in brass shutters with mesh detailing and paired with green marble pedestals that display curated pieces. These windows act as both invitation and intrigue, drawing passersby into a space that reveals itself gradually.
Within, the display strategy departs from conventional retail norms. Each unit is conceived as a “cabinet of curiosities”—a movable, object-like element designed with precision and ergonomics in mind. These bespoke pieces accommodate nuanced interactions: from the careful placement of jewellery to integrated mirrors that assist in personal viewing. Their mobility allows for constant reconfiguration, ensuring that the spatial experience remains dynamic and exploratory.
The triangular end of the plan is softened into a curved lounge area, offering a moment of pause within the retail journey—a space for conversation and engagement. Beneath the sculptural staircase, a concealed yet fully functional bar introduces an additional layer of hospitality. Designed to seamlessly transform from a hidden feature into an active social node, it enables the store to host intimate gatherings and curated client experiences.
The mezzanine accommodates the operational backbone of the store, housing the director’s cabin, a photography studio, and a dedicated watchmaker’s workshop. This separation ensures that the ground floor remains an uninterrupted landscape of display and experience, while the upper level supports the intricacies of the business.
Even the ancillary spaces, such as the bathrooms, are treated with equal attention. Finished in warm, earthy tones of surkhi-colored IPS and white marble, they extend the material narrative while offering a contrasting intimacy.
Externally, the façade undergoes a complete transformation—from an indistinct black frontage to a terracotta-toned elevation accented with awnings. This intervention situates the store within an Indian material context while simultaneously evoking an international sensibility, allowing it to stand out without disconnecting from its surroundings.
Ultimately, the redesign of Tressoro Bombay is not about imposing a new identity, but about revealing and amplifying its latent potential. Through a careful balance of restraint and expression, the project reimagines luxury as an experience that is tactile, immersive, and deeply atmospheric—one that shifts the focus from display to discovery, and from transaction to memory.
Fact File
Designed by: DR&W: Design, Research and Workshop
Project Type: Retail Design
Project Name: Tressoro Bombay
Location: Colaba, Mumbai
Project Size: 950 Sq.ft
Principal Architect: Jay Shah
Team Design Credits: Vritti Shah, Aparna Rai, Sudarshan Veryani
Photograph Courtesy: Neelanjana Chitrabanu
Contractors: Shyam Civil Interiors, Saae Works
Firm’s Instagram Link: DR&W: Design, Research and Workshop
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