Fabindia Flagship Store-Apparel
Retail Interior Design | Mumbai, Maharashtra
Client Fabindia Overseas
Area 7,000 Sq. ft
Status Completed 2004
Photographer Laura Rizzi, Sebastian Zachariah
Team Shimul Javeri Kadri, Vaishali Mangalvedhekar
The planning for the store entailed the creation of clusters as opposed to aisles within which one shops. This was to retain the feeling of “warm and homely” despite the grandiose scale of the space.
The site for Fabindia in the Fort area of Mumbai is in an old colonial building, which was built in the 1850s. A photograph of the building dating back to around 1870 exists and the landlord believes that the ground floor, which we have renovated, was initially built and used as a stable for horse carriages.
Clusters for shopping as opposed to aisles
The user before Fabindia was a bank and we inherited the space with POP false ceilings covering the old TW ceiling, cast-iron columns jacketed by RCC and several "unusable spaces" in the mezzanine.
Interiors in a colonial building
Some were "unusable" because you could get to them only with a ladder, some because you could get to them only by getting out of the building and using a back staircase in the neighbouring by-lane to get to them.
