Settled in a quaint nook of Ballard Estate, Studio PKA’s ‘Tianu – The Revival Project’ is a chapter in South Bombay’s book of restoration and adaptive reuse. Their approach to having the store reflect the design ideologies and tenets of the furniture brand led them to relocate and brighten this corner of Ballard Estate. The 371sqm. furniture retail store was designed to repurpose a neglected space, while seamlessly blending the contrast of the contemporary character of the store’s designs against the essence of the heritage of this Victorian-era building in Mumbai. The project, led by Architect Puran Kumar, is an inspiration for local businesses, especially in the Art and Design industry, to holistically approach their business and encourage restoration of local architecture and heritage.
The Estate and The Store
Among the numerous Victorian Era buildings of the architecturally affluent precinct of Bombay’s Ballard Estate lies the Feltham House building, on the ground floor of which you will find the Tianu store, seamlessly blending into the neighbouring environment. Inspired by the surrounding Art District of South Bombay on a macro level, Tianu embodies prioritizing the essence of the context as much as the space it occupies, on a micro level. The frontage was designed to revitalize the street, perceptibly integrating the store into the exterior pavement. The project is ultimately an ode to integrating the rich heritage of the bygone eras of Ballard Estate into the contemporary bustling streets of Mumbai.
Design Philosophy and Planning
The entrance of the store, a vestibule, is accentuated by a level difference inviting the user to the furniture retail store. As the user moves inward, the main retail space employs an open floor plan where the spaces flow into each other, with a deliberate intention of keeping the visual trace of the hierarchy of spaces to a bare minimum. Textural or tonal variations of flooring materials or semi-permeable partitions highlight these transitions. One such implementation was the cement board barrier, which was designed as a flexible intervention, blocking or permitting visual access to and from the store entry through louvres while also serving as a backdrop for furniture and artwork.
The staircase to the north leads up to a mezzanine level, designed for the in-house team and further zoning the area. This semi-public zone serves as a display for the furniture and art as well, crafting a distinctive and holistic narrative, and inviting customers to experience the store comprehensively. The interplay of levels disrupts the monotony of the singular space of Tianu while attempting to bridge the gap between architecture and the product; the past and present.
Material Palette, Construction and Retrofitting
In addition to the implementation of wood and glass in the frontage, permeating the street inward the store, there was a curated choice of maintaining the existing material palette of exposed brick, wood and metal and minimizing the introduction of new materials. This additionally aided in further highlighting the furniture pieces, accentuating their materials & textures, and creating complementing backdrops. The simplicity and transparency of the design of the space is reflected in the materials.
As part of the restoration of Tianu, existing partitions were removed, windows were opened up as well as required structural retrofitting was carried out. Steel girders were utilized to divide the mezzanine into 3 zones, vis a vis, a store room & dining area, a workspace and collaborative space. The wood-beamed high ceilings, large arched fenestrations, metal girders and stone façade reflect the homage to the past era of heritage in Mumbai.
Bridging Past and Present: Adaptive-Reuse
‘Tianu – The Revival Project’ is a fitting example of encouraging restoration, even at a smaller scale. The store hopes to inspire businesses to invest in repurposing and restoring heritage buildings within their precincts rather than concentrating just on the “new” by bringing life to otherwise desolate corners of the precincts, as seen in Ballard Estate. In the words of the lead architect Puran Kumar, “One must preserve the existing elements of the site and context, to sustainably intervene to develop the program and design it for reinvigoration” with the 3 guiding principles of adaptive-reuse: preservation, sustainable intervention and reinvigoration.
Studio PKA’s ‘Tianu – The Revival Project’ is a compelling showcase of architectural brilliance, seamlessly marrying history with modernity, as well as product with the space. With a curated material palette and strategic retrofitting, the project pays homage to the rich heritage of Mumbai, exemplifying the principles of adaptive reuse. This example of restoration and adaptive reuse, contributing to South Bombay‘s narrative of heritage restoration, is an exemplification of how architects can revive desolate localities at a smaller scale. The project not only revitalized a neglected space but acted as an insightful case study of how a holistic approach towards brand ethics can bring about business and marketing benefits.
References:
- Tianu – The Revival Project | Studio PKA. (n.d.). Studio PKA. https://studiopka.com/our_works/tianu-the-revival-project/
- TIANU – THE REVIVAL PROJECT – A SOCIAL DESIGN LIBRARY. (n.d.). A SOCIAL DESIGN LIBRARY. https://socialdesignlibrary.in/tianu-the-revival-project/
- Puran Kumar – The Expert’s Voice on Adaptive Reuse. (n.d.). Biltrax Media, A Biltrax Group venture. https://media.biltrax.com/puran-kumar-the-experts-voice-on-adaptive-reuse/
