MuseLab Conjures a Terracotta Wonderland in Ahmedabad
MuseLab designed Luire Jewellery Store in Ahmedabad redefines retail with its unique terracotta-themed design, seamlessly blending tradition and modernity. By Nikitha Sunil Vallikad
The storefront for Fortune Farm is unlike any jewellery boutique storefront. “You might call it a tiny homage to Blobbitecture but this adorable suspended hollow spherical pikachu-like blob houses diamonds in its stomach.” explain the designers.
Walking down the bustling streets of Sindhu Bhavan Marg in Ahmedabad, you might miss it if you’re not looking closely—a jewellery store unlike any other, a terracotta marvel that beckons the curious.
The flagship project for Lakhtarwala Jewellers, Fortune Farm, as the project is named, is a retail space like no other, drawing visitors into a sensory journey, melding artistry with retail design. While Lakhatarwala Jewellers were in the jewellery business since 1950, Luire is their foray into lab-grown diamonds and the design had to convey this unconventional change through a different approach.
Levitating over the island is a bespoke pendant light, a mirror image of the former’s shape, a visual yin&yang. Gauzy, stretched fabric and spotlights sensuously illuminate the adornments below,.
Under the creative hands of MuseLab, a Mumbai-based architecture firm, the 1000 sq ft a cuboidal, jewel-box-like volume is miraculously transformed into a terracotta terrain, its walls undulating, a sinuous island at its locus, and a mystical lunar landscape blooming in the island’s midst.
MuseLab, led by principal designers Jasem Pirani and Huzefa Rangwala, embarked on their first jewellery store project with a lot of groundwork and research. Taking their inspiration from Thomas Heatherwick’s Little Island Park with its precast concrete elements, a grazing table and from the lunar landscape, the designers at MuseLab created a visual storyboard with a strong storyline behind each design.
Infused with the grace of amoebic life forms, the design draws from their fluid movements and organic motions.
“The design demanded extensive research and innovative solutions to balance aesthetic appeal with practical necessities such as lighting, security, and operational efficiency,” they share.
MuseLab faced significant challenges, including communicating their avant-garde vision to the traditional 65-year-old Gujarati businessman. That the design came to fruition is a testament to the team’s commitment and ingenuity. Their perseverance paid off, transforming Luire into a space that captivates and inspires.
Interior Magic: The Heart of Fortune Farm
Rich with caresses of rusty terracotta and moody charcoal, Fortune Farm creates a space rich in theatrics that is as functional as it is theatrical.
The store’s design revolves around a central “discovery island,” an imaginative feature that disrupts the traditional retail layout.
“While ideating for this lineage jeweller’s enterprise, we decided to do away with design dictums that have long reigned this typology. The traditional ‘across-the-counter’ (read: stark and transactional) modus operandi was turned on its head,” reveals Pirani.
The mystical ring bearers dwell within glass cloches, analogous to biodomes showcasing a world within a world.
The result: a store that concocts a sensory, riveting, and curiosity-fuelled journey.
This island, with its sinuous form, encourages visitors to explore and engage. The design resembles a lunar landscape, complete with gritty craters and ring bearers conceptualised by artist Shailesh Rajput. The unique displays, encased in glass cloches, evoke biodomes—miniature worlds that captivate the imagination.
The space for the customer care personnel.
Above the island, a bespoke pendant light mirrors the island’s shape, creating a visual yin-yang. The interplay of light and shadow, achieved through gauzy, stretched fabric and strategic spotlights, highlights the jewellery below, casting a soft, inviting glow. The surrounding amoebic mirrors reflect fragmented views of the island, enhancing the sense of discovery and interaction.
Strategically placed amoebic mirrors at varied heights serve a dual purpose – to check out bejewelled ears and digits and to also amplify the beautiful island unit through reflections
The colour palette of Luire is a harmonious blend of rusty terracotta and moody charcoal. This combination celebrates a duality—delicate, brilliant diamonds set against a fiery Martian backdrop. The materials and colours chosen evoke a sense of drama and theatre, making the act of browsing jewellery feel like an adventure.
The act of lifting the biodome to reveal the ring bearer that displays the jewellery is both engaging and refreshing!
Form Meets Function: Addressing Practical Challenges
Despite its artistic leanings, the store’s design does not compromise on functionality. MuseLab meticulously planned the layout to ensure efficient operations. Security, a critical aspect of any jewellery store, was given top priority. The store can be opened and closed within a tight 20-minute window, thanks to optimised design and streamlined processes.
The cuboidal, jewel-box-like volume becomes the space for the jewels.
Display spaces were thoughtfully arranged to facilitate smooth communication and elegant showcasing of jewellery. The careful balance between aesthetics and practicality ensures that Luire is as functional as it is beautiful.
The true jewel of Luire is its interior design.
“Luire’s storefront is unlike any jewellery boutique; it’s a tiny homage to Blobbitecture. This adorable, suspended hollow spherical Pikachu-like blob, almost akin to flubber, houses diamonds in its belly, creating a unique and enchanting retail experience,” explains Pirani.
As Luire continues to enchant visitors, it underscores the potential of design to redefine and elevate the retail experience for here is a terracotta wonderland that celebrates the art of jewellery in a setting as extraordinary as the treasures it houses.
FACTFILE
Project Name: Fortune Farm
Store Name: Luire
Location: Ahmedabad, India
Area: 1000 sq ft
Completion: October 2023
Design Firm: MuseLAB
Principal Designers: Jasem Pirani, Huzefa Rangwala
Team: Fahim Khambati, Trupti Desai
Photographer: Ishita Sitwala
Collaborations: Shailesh Rajput Design Studio, Flos India
