normal studio, Oxford Bookstore New Delhi

Oxford Bookstore is an Indian bookstore chain established in 1919. It offers customers the widest range of outstanding titles. Designed as a concept store, each bookshop is home to a tea boutique called the Cha Bar, far from the hustle and bustle of the city. When it comes to architecture, no two stores are the same. Located at Connaught Place, a heritage neighbourhood built in the early 20th century, Oxford Bookstore can be found on the first floor. It is separated into several distinct sections. We did not want a formal layout no matter what the cost. We wanted to tackle the matter differently and come up with a partition that reflected the various needs of the space, so we decided to play around with the scale of the furniture and use books as context. The focus on books and how they are displayed – through the materials, lighting and furnishings – are the key focus for a series of installations that make up the eye-catching architecture. Each installation helps to set the pace for customers browsing the store. The first waymark is the entrance. Like the preface to a book, a bright geometric “cave” guides visitors towards the main area and the Cha Bar. The bookstore’s open set up encourages customers to move about freely, with no doors to obstruct any points of view. People move between the various spaces under blue archways that clearly delineate one room from another. The centre of the bookshop resembles an old library. Step stools and rail-mounted ladders provide easy access to the bookshelves that cover every inch of the walls, like a tapestry.