Third Floor Retail Transformation in Puri, Odisha

In the heart of Puri's vibrant textile landscape, where tradition and commerce intertwine, the revered name of Priyadarshini Handloom stands as a beacon of quality and heritage. Building on the success of a prior design collaboration for their celebrated saree floor, Priyadarshini returned to Ongrid to orchestrate their next phase of growth: a comprehensive third-floor retail expansion. This long-standing partnership is a testament to the profound value of design continuity and the power of client trust in creating cohesive, high-performing retail environments.

Project Specifications & Key Deliverables

Data Point	Value / Description
Location	Puri, Odisha (Coastal Eastern India)
Client	Priyadarshini Handloom (Long-standing Ongrid Partner)
Project Scope	Third Floor Multi-Category Retail Expansion
Total Area	Approx. 3300 sq. ft.
Ceiling Systems	Dual-level, moisture-resistant gypsum ceiling (350mm and 250mm from slab)
Climate Control	Integrated system of multiple cassette AC units with humidity management
Retail Sections	Men's Fashion, Women's Fashion, Children's Clothing, Jewelry, Customer Lounge
Support Facilities	4 Trial Rooms (Standard & Premium), Staff Pantry, Electrical Room, Elevator Access
Lighting Systems	Layered scheme with integrated LED, flexible track lighting, and directional spotlights
Technology Integration	Comprehensive WiFi, CCTV, and audio systems

 

The client's vision was ambitious yet clear: to evolve their established handloom expertise into a holistic garment and jewelry destination. The new space needed to honor the rich, intricate textile heritage of Odisha while catering to the sophisticated preferences of modern shoppers in this historic coastal city. The primary challenge lay in adapting Priyadarshini's strong brand identity to encompass a diverse array of new categories—men's fashion, women's apparel, children's clothing, and fine jewelry—while preserving the cultural authenticity that is the very soul of their reputation.

Located in Puri, a city defined by its sacred traditions and its immediate proximity to the Bay of Bengal, the design was also confronted by a unique set of climatic challenges. The hot, humid, and salt-laden coastal air poses a constant threat to valuable textiles and can significantly impact customer comfort. Ongrid's mission was therefore twofold: to create a sophisticated retail environment that seamlessly integrated with the existing store, and to engineer a space that set new standards for climate-responsive, culturally resonant textile retail design in Odisha's demanding coastal region.

The Ongrid Approach: Building on a Heritage of Partnership and Success

A Legacy of Collaboration

Our engagement with Priyadarshini Handloom for this expansion exemplifies the core of Ongrid's design philosophy: we don't just complete projects; we build enduring partnerships that evolve with our clients' needs. Having previously designed their highly successful saree floor, our team possessed an invaluable repository of insights into the Priyadarshini brand—its values, its customer demographics, its operational rhythms, and its deep commitment to craftsmanship. This established foundation of trust and understanding enabled us to approach the third-floor expansion with a unique blend of continuity and innovation, ensuring the new retail spaces would feel like a natural extension of the existing store while introducing fresh, exciting, and contemporary shopping experiences.

A Design Strategy Calibrated for Coastal Commerce

Our core strategy was built upon the principles of climate-responsive retail architecture, specifically calibrated for Puri's humid subtropical coastal environment. This data-driven approach directly addressed the dual challenges of:

Merchandise Preservation: Protecting valuable, delicate handloom textiles from the damaging effects of high humidity and salt-laden air.

Customer Comfort: Creating a consistently cool, fresh, and inviting shopping environment that encourages extended browsing and a premium customer experience, regardless of the season.

To achieve this, we focused on integrating advanced ceiling and HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) systems. Spatially, the strategy emphasized cultural retail storytelling—designing distinct zones where each product category could narrate its own story of Indian textile traditions while accommodating modern, intuitive shopping behaviors. This approach was designed to honor Puri's unique position as a major cultural and religious center, serving the diverse needs of its residents, the millions of pilgrims who visit annually, and the growing number of tourists exploring its coastal markets.

Architectural Solutions & Technical Excellence: Engineering a Premier Retail Environment

Advanced Climate Control Systems: A Shield Against the Elements

The design's primary defense against Puri's challenging climate is its sophisticated, engineered ceiling system. The false ceiling layout, as detailed in the technical drawings, reveals a dual-level approach, with meticulously planned gypsum ceilings positioned at 350mm and 250mm down from the main slab level. This is not merely an aesthetic choice; it creates optimized zones for integrating a high-performance HVAC system.

Humidity Management: Multiple cassette AC units are strategically positioned throughout the space, their locations calculated to ensure consistent, overlapping zones of temperature and humidity control across all retail sections—from the open fashion floors to the enclosed jewelry area. This system is the store's invisible guardian, maintaining an optimal microclimate that protects the integrity of delicate handloom fabrics and ensures a comfortable experience for customers.

Durable, Coastal-Ready Construction: Recognizing the corrosive nature of salt-laden coastal air, all ceiling construction materials were specified for marine-grade performance. The system utilizes 12mm moisture-resistant gypsum board supported by a robust M.S. (Mild Steel) frame system, engineered to resist moisture infiltration and long-term degradation.

Integrated, Cool Illumination: As shown in detailed drawings like Section-AA, energy-efficient LED strip lighting is seamlessly integrated into ceiling coves and display units. This choice is twofold: it provides a high-quality, even wash of light that renders textile colors accurately, and it minimizes heat generation, reducing the load on the climate control systems and contributing to lower operational energy costs.

Comprehensive Electrical Infrastructure for a Modern Retail Experience

The reflected ceiling plan demonstrates a sophisticated and highly organized electrical looping system, designed to support the demands of a modern, technology-enabled retail operation.

Seamless Connectivity: The infrastructure includes a comprehensive network of WiFi access points, CCTV security cameras, and ceiling-mounted speakers, all strategically positioned to provide complete coverage across the entire 16,035mm x 2,034mm floor plate. This robust technology integration positions Priyadarshini Handloom as a forward-thinking retail destination, capable of supporting digital payment systems, enhancing security, and creating a pleasant auditory ambiance.

Flexible and Dynamic Lighting: The design employs a combination of lighting systems for maximum flexibility. Track lighting systems are specified in key zones, allowing for easy repositioning and refocusing of lights to adapt to seasonal merchandise changes or new collections. Directional spotlights are used to create dramatic focal points, highlighting featured ensembles or high-value items. This layered electrical design accommodates both broad ambient lighting for general circulation and precise accent lighting, which is essential for the proper color rendering and appreciation of fine textiles and jewelry, especially under the variable natural light conditions of a coastal city.

Sophisticated Spatial Organization for a Curated Customer Journey

The furniture layout is not a random placement of racks; it is a carefully orchestrated plan designed to guide customers on a seamless and intuitive journey through the diverse product offerings.

Zoned Retail Experience: The floor plan is clearly zoned into distinct departments for men's fashion, women's fashion, children's clothing, and a secure jewelry section, along with essential support spaces. Each zone features specialized, custom-designed display systems—hanging racks, shelving units, display tables, and mannequins—all adapted to the specific requirements of the merchandise.

Maintaining Visual Connectivity: While the zones are distinct, the layout is designed to maintain long, open sightlines and a sense of visual connectivity across the entire 17,738mm retail floor depth. This creates a feeling of spaciousness and allows customers to easily navigate between different sections.

Enhanced Customer Amenities: The design includes four dedicated trial rooms, with dimensions thoughtfully planned for comfort. They range from a standard 3'11" x 4'5" to a more spacious 4'5" x 5'3" for premium or bridal experiences, ensuring a comfortable and private fitting process.

Secure and Elegant Jewelry Section: The jewelry area is designed as a secure "shop-in-shop," employing elegant, lockable glass display cases with integrated, secure storage systems. This design recognizes the unique security protocols and sophisticated presentation requirements for precious items, particularly in a high-traffic retail environment. The positioning of the counters creates natural, comfortable zones for interaction between staff and customers while maintaining clear sightlines for security and efficient service.

Multi-Level Experience and Inclusive Accessibility

A key feature of the design is its sophisticated approach to vertical circulation, which enhances the customer experience and ensures inclusivity.

Effortless Accessibility: The inclusion of a modern elevator system (5'11" x 5'11") connecting all floors is a crucial design move. It ensures that the new third floor is easily accessible to all customers, including elderly patrons, families with young children, and individuals with mobility challenges. This consideration is particularly important in Puri, a city whose diverse visitor demographics include local families and pilgrims of all ages.

Designing for the Indian Shopper: The layout incorporates a comfortable lounge area with plush seating. This feature acknowledges a key aspect of Indian retail culture, where purchasing high-value items like textiles and jewelry often involves extended family consultation and deliberation. This space provides a relaxed environment for customers to rest, discuss their choices, and make confident purchasing decisions.

Operational Efficiency: A dedicated pantry facility (11'-8" x 5'-8") is included for staff, supporting their comfort and well-being, which is essential for maintaining high levels of customer service during Puri's long retail hours.

Cultural Design Integration: Weaving Heritage into a Modern Narrative

Honoring the Handloom Legacy

The design is a celebration of Odisha's rich textile traditions. It moves beyond simply selling products to create an environment that showcases the artistry and craftsmanship inherent in handloom textiles.

Light and Texture: Display units are strategically positioned to allow controlled natural light to interact with the fabrics, highlighting the subtle, beautiful variations in weave, texture, and color that distinguish authentic handwoven textiles from mass-produced alternatives. This approach not only creates compelling visual merchandising but also subtly educates customers about the quality and value of the craft.

Cultural Anchor Points: Feature columns throughout the space are designed not just as structural elements, but as cultural anchor points. These surfaces provide opportunities to display curated information about Odisha's unique weaving traditions (like Ikat and Bomkai), regional specialties, and the stories of the artisan communities. These elements elevate the retail experience from mere shopping to an immersive cultural education, reinforcing Priyadarshini's role as a proud guardian of Odisha's textile heritage.

A Subtle Nod to Coastal Aesthetics

The design incorporates subtle coastal influences appropriate for Puri's beachside location, without resorting to clichés or overwhelming the primary focus on the textiles.

Materiality and Palette: The selection of natural materials and textures echoes the coastal environment while maintaining the sophisticated, premium ambiance required for handloom products. The color palette draws inspiration from both Odisha's traditional textile dyes—rich earth tones, deep indigos—and the serene landscapes of the coast, creating an environment that feels authentic and deeply connected to its place.

Light-Responsive Merchandising: Mannequin placement and display strategies are carefully planned to account for the unique quality of coastal light, ensuring that merchandise appears vibrant, true-to-color, and appealing throughout the varying daylight hours common in seaside locations. The design strikes a fine balance between maximizing natural light for ambiance and ensuring adequate UV protection for valuable and delicate textiles.

Sustainable and Adaptable Coastal Retail Design

The project embodies an advanced understanding of sustainable and adaptable retail design for challenging coastal environments. The high-efficiency climate control systems are designed to minimize energy consumption, reducing long-term operational costs while maintaining the optimal conditions required for textile preservation.

Furthermore, the use of modular furniture and display systems provides Priyadarshini with the crucial ability to reconfigure the retail layout seasonally without generating construction waste. This flexibility is particularly valuable in a dynamic tourist destination like Puri, where seasonal demand fluctuations and evolving fashion trends require a retail space that can adapt and refresh its offerings with ease.

The Partnership Outcome: A New Benchmark for Retail Excellence

The completed design for Priyadarshini Handloom's third floor represents a masterful integration of traditional textile retail with contemporary comfort, technology, and functionality, all specifically calibrated for Puri's unique cultural and environmental context. By building on the success and trust of our previous collaboration, Ongrid was able to deliver a retail environment that not only honors the rich heritage of handloom but also incorporates modern retail best practices and a robust response to the coastal climate.

The comprehensive technical documentation—from the detailed ceiling and electrical plans to the precise furniture layouts—provides Priyadarshini's construction team with a clear, unambiguous, and buildable blueprint. This detailed approach eliminates construction uncertainties, ensures a smooth implementation of our design vision, and upholds the high standards that define both Priyadarshini's esteemed retail operations and Ongrid's commitment to design excellence.

This third-floor expansion solidifies Priyadarshini's position as Puri's premier textile destination. More importantly, it establishes new benchmarks for culturally sensitive and climatically intelligent retail design in Odisha's coastal region. The project exemplifies how sustained, collaborative design partnerships can create retail environments that transcend mere commerce to become vibrant cultural ambassadors, celebrating and preserving India's rich textile heritage while successfully serving the needs of the modern consumer. It is a testament to Ongrid's expertise in creating culturally resonant, commercially successful retail spaces within India's diverse and demanding regional markets.