A glimmering legacy
When Sanjay Gupta, a legacy jeweller brand from Hyderabad approached groupDCA to design their flagship jewellery store in the city– the vision and values of the brand were to be the touchstones for the project.
Tibarumal Gupta launched his jewellery brand in 1920 crafting lavish and exquisite jewellery that came to adorn the city’s elite including the then Nizam of Hyderabad. Taking this legacy forward, today the brand strives to represent its core values of creativity, beauty and authenticity through traditional yet contemporary handcrafted jewellery.
Tibarumal has numerous stores in the city each helmed by the successors of its name. The client Sanjay Gupta wanted the eponymous store to weave in the history and legacy of Indian culture through its prized collectables, various antiquities and bespoke design elements.
Rahul Bansal, partner at groupDCA, helmed the project and elaborates on its brief, “Indian culture is very important to the client. Hence, It is a modern-day store with modern lighting design and materials. But when you weave in these antiquities it connects to the history, adding in a touch of authenticity.”
Usually, it is the spatial and interior design that determines the characteristics of decor but in this case, a 100-year-old magnificent chandelier defined the quality of the interiors to a large extent. The chandelier was created with the components of a brand called Osler. It has been handcrafted and all the elements of heritage have been put together to embellish it including artifacts, tokens and curios of the past. With an aim to keep the design India-centric, the narrative revolves around the amalgamation of traditional and modern design sensibilities. To facilitate this, rich brown is used on walls in form of Indian teak that can be seen throughout the interiors.
The Design Journey
Rooted in the Indian expression of spatial manifestation, the store is designed to reinforce the spirit of hospitality that is integral to our culture. Hence, sofa lounges are incorporated to host the clients and engage in conversations. Even the Point of sales are laid out such that the customer feels pampered and has an interactive experience. The owner’s cabin is also thoughtfully placed at the centre to facilitate ease of management and enhance accessibility. This allows the entire layout to function well and be efficient. This inturn reflects in the conversion of sales.
The conceptualisation begins as early as the first visit to the site. The collection of antiques and curios of Tibarumal allowed the team at groupDCA to take a deep delve into the history and crafting techniques of these invaluable artifacts. This exploration is reflected via on-site sketches, dusty archives, and searching for materials like jaali screens, Indian teak and intricate patterns. All this leads to the culmination of a narrative that is distinctively India modern yet represents the legacy of the brand through personalised elements.
The unfolding of spaces
As one enters the store, on the left there is a PR desk for meet and greet and directing the customers to the right place. There is one POS on the left which is for smaller items of jewellery like earrings, necklaces etc. On the right, there is another POS with an L-shape cash counter. A staircase from here leads to the first floor.
On the ground floor, two jaali screens lead into the main hall where there are POS on all sides with 3 counters on the left and 2 counters on the right. The central space on the right side leads to Sanjay Gupta’s cabin. At the end of this hall, again there are two jaali screens with a POS directly in the front. On either side of the central counter on the back wall are 2 doors. One door leads to the blue lounge room and the other door leads to the lounge with a sofa in it. These two rooms are interestingly connected from behind adding a transitional space for interactions.
On the first floor, there are back-of-the-house utilities like accounts and sorting, server room, staff pantry and toilet. The huge hall here is meant for exhibitions and for hosting events where they can showcase a fresh collection of jewellery.
The material palette is minimal so the store is predominantly white with tones of peach and grey for a refreshing vibe. Brown in form of Indian teak adds a touch of richness and opulence. The idea here was to make the antiques and the chandelier the showstopping elements of design.
It is notable that all the furniture elements were handcrafted and fabricated by groupDCA excluding the curios and artifacts. The store is designed to be timeless, just like the antiques added to the interiors.
Sanjay Gupta Jewellery Store
Location: Hyderabad, India
Design: Rahul Bansal partner of groupDCA
Area: 3000 sqft (G+1)
Photo credits: Ricken Desai
