House of Porcelain

House of Porcelain - a retail store for sanitaryware and bath fittings Finished-Unfinished The design puts together an unusual shopping experience for customers that plays on their perceptions of refinement and rawness - something more than just products to take away. Our store design celebrates the inner beauty of construction materials and intends to break stereotypes associated with their perception when used in commercial spaces. As a norm, designers of retail outlets tend to apply veneers of acceptable finishes onto base materials, seen too often as unfinished, rough, or cheap for merchandise display. By using natural birch plywood, steel sheets, micro cement, and black granite as their raw exposed selves, the design looks for inherent beauty in their structure - refining and expressing through design what lies ‘Inside’. The concept is reflective of our client, a self-made man with patchy formal education; but someone who through years of subsequent hard work and perseverance has become a stalwart in his industry demonstrating moral structure, encyclopedic knowledge, understated sophistication, and a refined design taste that is truly rare. Space The store is located within a commercial building on the outskirts of Pune, India – a landscape of banal suburban real estate typical of cities in the developing world. Display galleries are designed as a series of interconnected spaces with a looped circulation allowing a single direction movement such that all products on sale may be viewed sequentially. Alternatively, customers may choose to take short cuts through to areas of specific interest. As an independent retailer, mainly catering to homeowners, the store is not wedded to any specific brand. Display systems are designed in a neutral manner that allows flexibility of changing products without affecting the overall experience. Brands and prices are intentionally not displayed. This was a specific brief from our client with the intent to deter customers from visiting the store and later buying the product online at a discounted price. Construction materials used are available locally, reasonably priced, customizable and lend themselves to the concept. Display systems are intentionally designed to contrast with the product. This ensures that the product on sale is highlighted and remains the hero. Looking Ahead The store becomes a memorable space experienced through choreographed movement – one in which products reveal themselves against a dynamic and intensely photogenic backdrop – a ‘Museum of Wares’. Details Built-up Area: 3500 sq. ft Location: Pune, India.