Paper Store -Retail Interiors | Architecture Discipline
As an architectural practice operating in an urban environment, the large scale of our work often implies that we are unable to fully engage the end user within the realm of the everyday objects that they interact with – be they light fixtures, small furniture or specialized hardware.The momentary recognition of a pure architectural expression is sometimes all that remains in the memory of a user inhabiting a space that takes years to realize.
Thus, it is only in smaller projects where one can utilize the opportunity to fully envelop the sensory experience by creating an arresting intervention in an otherwise banal public arena. Also, it is not limited to the end product – it is present in the process of altering the site as regular passers-by sense the onset of change and anticipate the eventuality. The shift in the perception of the user is an intervention and that is the underlying strategy behind the approach to this project.
The site is located in a small hotel on a busy road that has rapidly commercialized, changing dramatically in character over the past decade. A small space of 12 x 16 on the ground floor was to be designed to accommodate a fairly unique proposition – a paper store that specialized in customized invitations and stationery. Having earlier collaborated with the client on stationery design, the focused nature of merchandise forced us to think deeply about the aesthetic experience that would be appropriate to the product. Since there is an artisan-like quality to the making of the paper, we wanted to reflect the same level of craftsmanship in the store, making it feel almost like a workshop that one would find in a backyard, a private haven. Concurrently, it was important for the client to be able to customize the details as they innovated with newer products.
The first decision was to adopt a primary material and then use it in different finishes to create the transition between the outside, where it would need to act as a visual intervention, to the inside where it would act as the container for the merchandise. Despite being used ad nauseam by developers in the city, their approach fails to evoke the raw natural fibrous texture of the material, utilizing only the resultant color on a flat surface. From the road, the first impression is created by a slatted screen anchored by a simplistic shape, a Mickey Mouse garden hut with sides in frosted glass. This announces the presence in a subtle manner, piquing the interest without resorting to a large hoarding or advertisement. The same material texture is also on the floor plane, stepping up to an exterior patio space, adorned by a fragrant frangipani tree,beyond which the real facade can finally be seen. The turquoise color of the frosted glass is offset by the dark edges of the frame and the delicate branding set in the central panel.
Within the space, there is a subtle shift in the materiality – the surfaces are smoother, the smoked maple ceilings and walls have been sanded down and the effort is almost to create the interior of a jewel box. Crisp black shutters define the shelves in one half of the space while the rest of the walls are dotted with smoothly machined wooden dowels. These cylindrical protrusions animate the walls with their shadows and can be moved around and reconfigured to accommodate the varied nature of the products on the walls and within the cupboards. Their varying length also helps create the impression of an imaginary curvilinear lamina, an invisible surface acting as a second layer of enclosure. The play of shadows crafts a dynamic experience along with the intensity of the light within the cupboard. A small screen is utilized to segregate the attendant from the guest.
Sitting in this wooden enclosure, are a few select pieces of furniture that round off the aesthetic intervention of the project. There is a large coffee table, essentially a block of smoked maple wood with cubic subtractions and angular slots hacked into the volume, creating an abstract geometric construct where additional merchandise can be displayed. The visual mass of this table is offset by two cerulean blue Chairs with delicate pink piping on the lower edges,almost as if posing like naughty Parisian dancers. The whole composition is really just a quiet conversation between the 2 pieces of solid grounded furniture and the 2 pieces of mobile furniture.
FACT FILE:
Designer’s Firm: Architecture Discipline
Project: Paper Store
Typology : Interior, Retail
Location : Delhi
Name of Client: Sanjeev Gupta, Archana Press Pvt. Ltd.
Principal Architect: Akshat Bhatt
Design Team: Nikhil Auluck
Total Cost: 2.5 crore
Site Area: 130 sq. ft.
Start Date: January 2015
Completion Date: February 2016
Photographer: Jeetin Sharma
Akshat Bhatt
This home exudes warmth with earth tone interior design. The client, an Indian national doctor based in Jamaica, had a clear vision for his dream home in Bangalore. He wanted a plush residence that would serve as a warm and welcoming haven for his family of three, as they relocated to India. The client’s requirements […]
A 6,500-square-foot house in a peaceful Hyderabad neighbourhood tells a story through arches in interior design, light, shadow, texture, and time rather than words. Meghana Nimmagadda founded the award-winning boutique design studio Designtales, which is responsible for this most recent residential project. Designtales is well-known for its intensely individualised approach to interior design. They create […]
A 3-bedroom apartment with beige interiors hosts a Maharashtrian couple and their two daughters as its residents. The home’s main boast is its huge, full-height windows that let in ample sunlight – a fact which later became a key guiding point in designing the interior space. With Beige Interiors, This Apartment Unfolds Comfort | Agneya […]
The project with wooden interior represents more than just interior design; it was about creating an emotional bridge between two worlds. Kerala’s rich architectural heritage, with its emphasis on natural materials, intricate wooden craftsmanship, and connection to nature, needed to be thoughtfully translated into a modern urban context without losing its authentic character. Gandhi understood […]
Nestled within one of Chennai’s most sought-after and affluent neighbourhoods, The Chic Sanctuary is a quiet luxury style 2025 sq. ft. apartment that stands as a serene and stylish oasis amidst the vibrant energy of the city. Designed with a strong sense of modern sophistication and understated luxury, this home masterfully balances aesthetics with functionality, […]
In a city that rarely sleeps, this house finds calm with neutral interiors. Nestled in the buzzing heart of Mulund, Mumbai, lies a serene sanctuary where design speaks in hushed tones and emotions find form in monochrome whispers. “Whispers of White”, a residential project by Disha Maniyar, principal designer of The Next Step Interiors, is […]
In a city constantly balancing between the fast-paced and the familiar, this serene apartment for Gurjar family in Mulund unfolds like a quiet retreat. Titled The Woven Story, this 4BHK apartment was envisioned as a coming together of different individualities, tastes, and styles, an interior narrative that acknowledges contrast yet seeks cohesion. The brief was […]
The Jade House is a celebration of green interiors through colour, texture, and thoughtful functionality. A home where every design element has been carefully curated to reflect the personality of its residents while maintaining a cohesive aesthetic. Named after the precious jade stone, the home takes inspiration from its lush green tones, which appear gracefully […]
Tucked away in a bustling Bangalore neighbourhood, Anubhav is more than just a home—it’s a feeling, an experience. Designed for a young couple from Assam with a modern eye and a deep love for the arts, this 1500 sq. ft. three-bedroom apartment captures the essence of boho interior design through farmhouse chic living with a […]
When a client from Mumbai’s eastern suburbs—a quiet father-son duo, one of whom is a budding musician—approached us to design their home, it set the stage for a poetic confluence of two creative disciplines: architecture and music. It’s always a rare pleasure when design engages in dialogue with another form of cultural expression, and in […]