ArchShowcase Sumit Singhal
Sumit Singhal loves modern architecture. He comes from a family of builders who have built more than 20 projects in the last ten years near Delhi in India. He has recently started writing about the architectural projects that catch his imagination. Beauty Parlour & Bridal Studio in Kerala, India by Eminence Architects [Research + Design]October 31st, 2017 by Sumit Singhal
Article source: Eminence Architects [Research + Design] The perception of a beauty parlour, a salon or a bridal studio has changed over a period of time. Typical layouts or designs are stories of the past. When we were assigned to design a women’s beauty parlour and bridal studio, we decided to give a different experience to the clients who step in. The site was located on the ground floor among a row of small shops. It was a long and narrow rectangular space of about 330sqft.
Given the tight budget and other parameters we decided to work on a simple plan with minimal elements. Minimalism is not always monotonous, and so we decided to add a tinge of visible vibrance. Within the space of length 30’, width 11’ and height 11’, we decided to have a small reception area in the front, “The Wall” barricading the multiple workstations on both sides and a bridal room at the rear end. The workstations that give a semi-private cubical feel are placed on either side of the studio to have a central aisle for better circulation. The studio has two haircutting stations with mirrors on the wall, two facial beds with long mirrors on the cubical wall, a hair washing station at the rear end with a wash basin and a small separate room for bridal makeup. All stations are provided with storages on the side to create comfortable work ergonomics. The biggest challenge in the project was to design “The Hexa Wall” which would act as a barricade between the reception and the workstations. Moreover, as the studio was located on the ground floor, “The Wall” needed to be solid in finish and appealing. Considering the narrow spaces, it needed to be dismantable as and when required. With these parameters we decided to have a wall which was solid in finish, easily dismantable and appealing which led to the inception of “The Hexa Wall” that consists of 66 pieces of half and quarter hexagons that are put together by interlocking joints. This kind of arrangement gives a visible vibrance to the whole space. Furthermore, the reception desk with the angularly stacked boxes along with the display wall behind complements “The Hexa Wall”. Once the layout was finalized, the next step was to bring in ample of lights and spatial aesthetics. Since the only entry for natural lighting was available from the front façade which was not sufficient enough for the space, a monochrome colour palette from white to grey, and pink was selected to add visible vibrance. The studio walls and the ceilings were painted all white with down lighters and task lights for every workstation. From the tagline “The wings to fly beautiful”, the logo was designed by overlapping vector faces to form butterfly wings. The glimpse of the reception desk and “The Hexa Wall” through the front large glass panel invites the client to visit and experience the ambience and the services. Category: Beauty Parlor |