search
  • This Jewelry Store Interior Echoes the Legacy of Meenakari Art | Studio Lotus

    Studio Lotus proposes a unique archetype for retail design with the new brand experience center for luxury jewelry label Sunita Shekhawat. The art of Meenakari, or enamel work, is an age-old technique renowned for its vibrant and intricate designs on metal surfaces. While enamel work originated in Persia, it has flourished in India, particularly in Rajasthan, where it is passed down through the generations and deeply embedded in the region’s artistic legacy. This 16th-century art serves as the foundation for the work of well-known Indian jewelry designer, Sunita Shekhawat. Her eponymous brand lends a fresh spin to the age-old tradition with timeless yet contemporary jewelry. Studio Lotus’ design for the brand’s flagship store and Museum of Meenakari in Jaipur pays homage to this approach, a nod to the region’s vibrant cultural heritage amidst a fast-evolving cosmopolitan landscape, with a jewelry store interior that seamlessly reflects this artistic legacy.

    Editor’s Note: In the heart of Jaipur, the Sunita Shekhawat Flagship Store reimagines luxury with quiet grace. Its jewelry store interior is a reflection of timeless artistry, warm, intimate, and deeply rooted in tradition. Here, every detail tells a story, creating an experience that lingers far beyond the moment. ~Isha Bora

    This Jewelry Store Interior Echoes the Legacy of Meenakari Art | Studio Lotus

    jewelry store interior

    The Existing Shell

    When Studio Lotus joined the project, an existing concrete shell already stood on-site. Given complete freedom to demolish it and start fresh, the studio instead chose to retain the structure. Since the concrete had been recently cast, the architects aligned with their design philosophy of minimizing the embodied carbon footprint and worked with the existing shell.

    jewelry store interior

    Programmatically, the ground floor houses a museum gallery, with the store located one floor below. Also, the offices are a floor above. The second floor aims to bring in like-minded luxury brands, while the top floor. Thus, offering panoramic views of the nearby Rajmahal Palace, serves as a restaurant.

    Historical Influences

    Multiple historical influences of the region—Rajputana, Mughal, and Art Deco—shape the building’s identity. Thus, creating a unique composite distinct from any particular style. This new vocabulary mirrors Sunita Shekhawat’s design approach to her jewelry, which was rooted in tradition. Moreover, it crosses over seamlessly into European and other contemporary iterations.

    jewelry store interior

    The oddly shaped footprint externally articulates by bevelling the balconies. Subsequently, it is devising a form that intricately layers patterns and details that draw from different periods. Overall, they are woven together into one cohesive image.

    Externally, a double-height entrance arch in elevation unifies the ground and first floors as a single composition. Clad in hand-carved Jodhpur red sandstone, the facade harks to Sunita’ Shekhawat’s roots in Jodhpur. While quite distinct in expression, it fits seamlessly into the pink palette synonymous with Jaipur’s urban fabric.

    jewelry store interior

    On the inside, the client’s three floors are unified through a striking sculptural staircase that winds through the center of the space. The original brief designated the ground floor for retail space, assigned the basement for offices and karigars’ workshops. Furthermore, they planned to let out the remaining floors.

    jewelry store interior

    The studio suggested to the client, the idea of using the ground level as an opportunity for the Sunita Shekhawat brand to own a storytelling space on the art of enameling—a fitting way of giving back to the arts and cultural heritage of the city—through the introduction of a museum-gallery that traces the provenance and history of Meenakari craftsmanship.

    This distinct addition not only serves as the fulcrum of the experience but also elevates the brand from a jewelry label to a custodian of the craft. Sidhartha Das has designed the museum experience, while Usha Balakrishnan—a foremost expert on Indian jewelry traditions—has curated the content.

    First Floor: Offices and Design Studio

    The first floor—a bright, daylit space crafted out of lime plaster, stone, and terrazzo—houses the client’s office and design studio. With its wide floorplate and tall ceilings, the lower ground floor lends itself well to the exclusive, by-appointment-only, bespoke nature of the business, and of the product too. The lack of natural light being conducive to the controlled lighting necessary for jewelry display.

    The first experience is that of a library- cum-lounge space that further leads guests into one of four private pods. Thus, designed for one-on-one client interactions. The floor further accommodates a jewelry finishing unit, strongrooms, workshops for karigars, and ancillary spaces for accounts and sales. The planning of the retail space circulation allows for discreet, private servicing of all these pods through a service corridor that wraps itself around their external periphery, ensuring that guests have a highly personalized experience, with a sense of mystery to it.

    The Pods

    The pods are clad in an off-white ‘araish’ lime stucco, their semi-vaulted ceilings embellished with frescoes by artists specializing in miniature painting. Developed over several months in situ by 12 artisans, the frescoes depict vignettes of the region’s architecture and flora and fauna.

    The Outcome

    The outcome—a jewel-like expression of hand-crafted luxury that celebrates the brand’s ethos—is a testament to the skills of the artisans, who’ve interpreted them on an unfamiliar scale and medium; a synergistic collaboration between the architects, the client, and Nisha Vikram of CraftCanvas. The remaining surfaces are monochromatic, so as to have no distractions at eye level from the intricately-crafted jewelry on display.

    The Sunita Shekhawat Flagship Store is designed to foster an environment where the act of purchasing jewelry is not the primary goal; instead, it becomes the natural conclusion of a transformative experience. The underlying emotion behind the Meenakari museum—the first of its kind—becomes the client’s way of paying homage to the city that has given her so much, while also establishing a novel paradigm in luxury retail design.

    Fact File

    Designed by:
     Studio Lotus

    Project Type: Retail Design

    Project Name: Museum of Meenakari Heritage & Flagship Store

    Location: Jaipur, Rajasthan

    Year Built: 2024

    Project Size: 20360 Sq.ft

    Design Team: Ambrish Arora, Pankuri Goel, Shoaib & Mubashri

    Photograph Courtesy: Ishi Sitwala

    Interior Contractors: Buildkraft India

    Client: Sunita Shekhawat

    Museum Synography: Sidhartha Das

    Museum Curator: Usha Balakrishnan

    Crafts: Nisha Vikram

    Façade Consultants: Studio Lotus, Buildkraft India

    Source: Archdaily

    Firm’s Website Link: Studio Lotus

    Firm’s Instagram Link: Studio Lotus

    For Similar Project>> A Jewellery Boutique Designed With Modern Aesthetics That Exude Luxury 

    A Colonial House in Delhi Is Turning Heads For Its Country Style Grandeur | groupDCA

    Editors’ Note – This colonial house in Delhi carries an ambience of grandeur, infused with the elegance of Victorian-style colonialism. Expansive living, dining, and kitchen areas open into light-filled spaces framed by large glazing that connect seamlessly to the surrounding landscape. Inside, tropical interiors with bold geometry add a contemporary layer of comfort. The residence […]

    Read More

    This Hilltop House in Indore Is Redefining Aesthetically Refined Living | OutsideIn Consultants

    “Hilltop House” is envisioned as a contemporary yet context-sensitive residential project that harmonizes architecture and interior design to create a sanctuary perched on a scenic elevation. The design will respond directly to the topography, climate, and panoramic views, while delivering a highly functional, comfortable, and aesthetically refined living environment. This Hilltop House in Indore Is […]

    Read More

    This Sloping Roof House In Kerala Is A Sensitive Reinterpretation Of Memory & Material | PATH

    In the layered urban grain of Manjeri, the Timeless House reimagines a 1970s sloping roof residence through careful transformation. It’s a home that doesn’t shout for attention, but quietly repositions itself within its time and place, a sensitive reinterpretation of memory, material, and movement. Originally built in 1972, the house was structurally sound, featuring load-bearing […]

    Read More

    In This Rustic Farmhouse in Hyderabad, Time Pauses and Light Dances | Sona Reddy Studio

    Editor’s Note: There’s something truly special about homes crafted with thought and care—where every corner and detail speaks to its users, becoming part of their memories. For siblings Akhila and Kaushik, Sona Reddy Studio brought this vision to life in One Summer House, a rustic farmhouse tucked within the vibrant city of Hyderabad. Designed with […]

    Read More

    Golden Accents Stand Out in the Interiors of This Noida Bungalow | Axiom Design Studio

    This southwest-facing bungalow, with golden accents in its interiors, is a refined expression of contextual and climate-responsive modern architecture. The home embraces its orientation with an intelligent façade design that balances aesthetic appeal and environmental performance. With the sun’s harshest rays hitting the structure in the latter half of the day, the architects incorporated a […]

    Read More

    This North Facing House Exudes Gentle Luxury | VPA Architects

    This North Facing villa opens towards the East to always soak in the cool and diffused light. Its orientation is mindful of the adjoining clubhouse and its expansive garden. The planning allows the villa’s private lawn to visually merge with it, creating a larger and cohesive space. With a connection to the open space at […]

    Read More

    The Jaali Design in this Layered Home Exudes Earthiness | Pranav Patel Design Studio

    An Urban Sanctuary Woven with Craft, Warmth, and Light Explicitly tucked into a quiet residential pocket, this home with a jaali facade is a thoughtfully layered expression of calm, character, and craftsmanship. Every surface and corner is rooted in intention — where light, material, and memory meet. The Jaali Design in this Layered Home Exudes […]

    Read More

    This Residence Embraces Tradition with Stone Clad Walls | Gaurav Deore Architects

    Set in the serene landscape of Nashik, the Dabholkar Residence by GDA is a home, embracing stone clad walls. Here, tradition and contemporary design exist in harmony. Designed to reflect the family’s deep connection to tradition and art while embracing the style of contemporary living, it is a space where architectural details, heritage furniture, artwork […]

    Read More

    Farmhouse Designs in India: 15 Inspiring Styles To Know

    The Indian farmhouse accommodation goes on to capitalize on a mature evolutionary synthesis of ancestral aesthetics and contemporary features. With this, the outside and the inside of farmhouses became places of comfort with nature. In this blog, we delve into 15 incredible farmhouse designs that entail a harmonious blending. While they exhibit different spaces in […]

    Read More

    This Tropical Home Design Features A Striking Sloped Terracotta Roof In Kerala | Vriksha Architects

    Aangan is a modern residence that seamlessly integrates with the lush environment of Kerala, showcasing a tropical home design. Designed to embrace the region’s warm climate, the house features a striking sloped terracotta roof at varying levels, enhancing both its aesthetic appeal and functional efficiency. The structure is enveloped in a vibrant tropical landscape, adorned […]

    Read More
  • Ayat, A Modern House Design In Kerala Is Centered On The Concept Of An “Iconic Box” | Farsa Buildesign

    Sustainable Architecture - A New Perspective Towards Future | TADialogue | IIDA 2024