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SVSMS, Studio Decode | International Design Awards Winners
SVSMS, Studio Decode | International Design Awards Winners
SVSMS, Studio Decode | International Design Awards Winners
SVSMS, Studio Decode | International Design Awards Winners
SVSMS, Studio Decode | International Design Awards Winners
SVSMS, Studio Decode | International Design Awards Winners
SVSMS, Studio Decode | International Design Awards Winners
SVSMS, Studio Decode | International Design Awards Winners

SVSMS

CompanyStudio Decode
Lead Designers
Prize(s)Honorable Mention
Project LinkView
Entry Description

CATEGORY: INTERIOR DESIGN - RENOVATION

CONCEPT NOTE

DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT

INTERIOR DESIGN AND RENOVATION OF AN INDIAN SWEET STORE

SVSMS is a family owned traditional Indian sweet store. The sweet store was first established in 1935. It is located in the heart of the old market district of Balepet in Bangalore, India. We were approached to do the interiors for their new store which would also entail renovation of the existing building and facade. The store was earlier operating from a 100sqft space in a building adjacent to our site since the 70's. Hence the intention of the new store was to expand in size by occupying a floor area of 1500sqft on the ground floor which would primarily be for the sale of sweets and also open a cafeteria on the first floor with a floor area of 885.4 sqft, as an added layer to the business. The proposed location for the new store was a 4 storey building which was built in the 50's. The ground floor was earlier used for the manufacture of sweets, first floor as a residential space and subsequently the upper two floors was used for packaging & storage. The current footprint of the building is 1447.4 sqft. The total built up area after renovation being 4062.9 sqft. The ground floor is for the sale of sweets, first floor as a cafeteria, the second and third floor is used for packaging and storage. Because of the high ceiling heights two mezzanine floors were inserted between the ground and second floor by puncturing the first floor slab. These have been designed to be used as offices.

DESIGN APPROACH

The sweet store has been in business for over 7 decades and is a
landmark of sorts in the old market district of Bangalore not just
because of its long history in retail but also because of the sale of
popular sweet called the 'Mysore Pak'. The sweet store has been
attributed to the popularity of the sweet.
Historically the sweet is said to have originated in the kitchens of the
Mysore Palace. Our primary design approach was to create a
connection with it's history because of the sweet and due the age of
the store/ brand, to reflect a blend of classical and contemporary
design sensibilities through the interiors and the architecture.
In the ground floor the the presentation is dominated by the laser cut
panels of MDF which has been used in the false ceiling, the front
panels of the display units and the cash counter. They have been
finished in white duco paint. The false ceiling in the store is a mix of
laser cut MDF panels and gypsum boards. The motif on the false
ceilings is a leaf pattern that is inspired from the artwork found in the
Mysore Palace. Combination of brown as in wood, blue as in the light &
Sile stone granite cladding and white has been used to reflect the
colors in their logo. The chandeliers are used to remind us of a time
period when the store started and give us a sense of grandeur of
where the sweet originated. The lighting scheme was kept subtle by
offering most of the luminosity from the false ceiling and the
chandeliers. This created a subtle backdrop to the main feature which
is the displays which were brightly lit. In a sort building up the mood
for the main products. The back shelves are also self illuminated to
augment the visibility of the merchandise placed there. The stair case
in metal & glass dissects the sweet area and the chaat (form of Indian snacks) area. The store
is located at an intersection of two streets with two frontages. The longer frontage
has been provided with glass and white shelves to promote window
shopping as well as offer a glimpse into the merchandise of the store.
The office on the first mezzanine contains the cabins of the owner and
his sons. It has been designed to look warm, elegant and clutter free.
The work area has been kept light by making the work tables of steel
and glass to make the small cabins clutter free. The wall paper has
been selected to be consistent with colors of the store which is blue
and brown.
The cafeteria on the first floor which is meant for the sale of ice cream,
cakes and coffee is mostly kept white. The false ceiling,lighting and the
front panels in front of the display are all in white while wall paper has
been used behind the counter and the gypsum false ceilings. The MDF
panels in the false ceiling have been laser cut in the same motif as on
the ground floor. The Chandeliers on the false ceiling and laser cut
panels thematically connect the two floors.
The exterior of the building has been treated as a simple
white box with glass. The exterior of the ground floor is clad in black
slate.

UNIQUE AND INNOVATIVE APPROACH
The interesting challenge of this project was in exploring the permissibility of
design in traditional Indian retail today. It was an effort to understand what
traditional retail means to design rather than being the opposite. Traditional
retail such as a sweet shop has often been neglected as a place of design.
Most of our design efforts in retail interiors are often focused towards fashion
boutiques, high end restaurants, F & B, hotels etc. Traditionally there is a
certain imagery that is associated to an Indian sweet shop which can often be
described as being mostly utilitarian and devoid of design. Our effort was to
treat it with a design sensibility akin to high street retail without inflating the
budget.
Hence the uniqueness of the project is in the fact of discovering the
awareness and the penetration of design as well as the changing pattern in
the field of retail and merchandise in the India we live in today. In a
traditionally utilitarian segment such as a sweet store it can be said that a
pattern of change has been discovered where a commodity such as sweets
entrenched in very traditional ways of presentation and sale can be treated as
a visual commodity where a visual environment has a place in the experience
of the product as is found in a clothes boutique or a high end restaurant.


COMPETITION ENTRY BY STUDIO DECODE