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Buildtrek transforms a conventional retail space into a dynamic gallery which showcases not only the client’s timbre products, but also engages visitors on a visual and tactile level.
Curated by: Deepa Nair
Photographs: Jeevan Jyot; courtesy Buildtrek
The site
Woodscape Odyssey, Buildtrek’s latest project, is an upscale experiential gallery for timber located along a bustling thoroughfare in Karnal’s timber market. The store’s initial layout featured essential components: a concierge area, a director’s cabin, and dedicated storage spaces for raw timber logs and plywood. Notably, the two main entrances, one positioned diagonally, emerged as a potential focal point, strategically inviting the curiosity of the bustling passers-by. This layout set the stage for the subsequent transformation into Woodscape Odyssey, turning a simple setup into a dynamic and engaging retail experience.
The design intent
As the client’s directive was to upscale the 1500-square-foot timber retail store without altering its existing layout, the design strategy focused on creating an immersive and dynamic environment which enhanced the display of the diverse product line offered by the brand. The client’s manufacturing portfolio includes wooden flexi veneers, wood stair treads, decorative and resin boards; while their retail offerings encompass various wood species.
The store had to transition from a conventional retail space into a dynamic gallery that not only highlights the craftsmanship of the manufactured products, but also engages customers on a visual and tactile level. This design approach not only met the client’s requirement for upscaling without layout alterations but also created an interactive and visually compelling environment that elevates the overall retail experience. The result is a harmonious blend of functionality and aesthetics, seamlessly integrating the client’s manufacturing and retail endeavours into a cohesive and captivating showcase.
The spatial configuration
The strategic positioning of the store, characterized by two primary entrances, affords a distinct advantage in capturing the attention of passers-by traversing the bustling thoroughfare. Upon entering, visitors are greeted by a concierge area featuring a substantial parametric ceiling installation, meticulously designed on a grand scale. This commanding installation is a focal point, compelling external observers to engage with the space.
Additionally, the primary wall prominently showcases a repurposed sawmill structure from the client, ingeniously exhibiting the diverse array of wooden species available for retail. Further enhancing the spatial experience, a staircase invites visitors to ascend or descend. The stairwell wall features arch-shaped displays, drawing inspiration from traditional Indian windows encircling a stepwell. Notably, a stepwell installation adorns the ceiling of the stairwell, symbolically representing the various wooden treads manufactured by the client.
The design details
Central to the design concept was the creation of a unique journey for customers through a wave-like parametric installation suspended from the ceiling. The installation challenges the conventional rigidity of wood, inviting viewers to perceive its versatility and fluidity. The sawmill structure, inspired by the client’s requirement to display various wood species, cleverly reuses traditional concepts with bandsaw blades and metal clamps, strategically placed as a focal point on the wall.
The stairwell becomes a narrative space with design elements inspired by traditional step-wells, showcasing wooden treads juxtaposed with a central resin panel symbolizing reflective waters. The walls, inspired by traditional Indian arched windows, serve as platforms for displaying wooden decorative panels, harmonizing the past with the present. “Overall, the project creatively uses wood in design, from the eye-catching parametric installation to the adaptive reuse of traditional concepts, narrating the profound relationship between timber and architecture. The result is an immersive experience that honours the store’s heritage while providing customers with a unique and engaging space in the timber industry,” explains Kanav Arora, principal architect, Buildtrek.
The material palette
The parametric installation is crafted by laser-cutting MDF boards into rafters, and were set in a waffle structure at intervals of eight inches. The base is enveloped in thermoformed RelWood, which after heating, moulds seamlessly over the structure. This base is then adorned with a 1.5mm paper-based flexible veneer and treated with oil for a fine finish. The saw-mill installation is made of cast iron (repurposed) which displays the different wood species manufactured by the client. The stepwell installation is made out of stair treads and resin board manufactured by the client. The walls and the ceiling are finished in concrete texture with sage green wallpaper in the stairwell.
Fact file
Project: Woodscape Odyssey
Client: Batra Timber Private Limited
Location: Karnal, Haryana
Area: 1,500 sq ft
Principal architect: Kanav Arora
Design team: Jeevan Jyot
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