Retaining the trees on site became a critical parameter while master planning the site for the extension.
The design of the salon had to work with the constraints of the warehouse typology, with its stark edges and the lack of sufficient setbacks.
This was tackled by opening up the edges and incorporating a lot of green. The vegetation was also weaved into the interior spaces where it performed several key functions such as being a visual barrier to enable zoning between different activities.
Using these softer edge conditions, the green enhances the experience of being in a vast space and provides a backdrop for all the activities while also providing the necessary privacy.
The use of material and form were crucial to create a uniform design language.
Nine inch wide copper sheets were used all around to give definition to the space and to also hide the structure of the trusses.
These blades that run throughout the ceiling, converging and diverging throughout the space , serve both an aesthetic and functional purpose- they host lighting, storage and partition units.
The primary form that informs the design of all the furniture units such as the reception table, mirror units and storage is a rectilinear form with rounded edges.
These unifying characters allow various parts of the design to form a seamless experience.
The choice of material palette and the balance achieved by counteracting more subtle tones of grey finishes with the copper and the green is notable.
This is also apparent in the retail unit where natural stone and brass become the defining elements of the space.