Spread across an expanse of 1,00,000 sq.ft., the recently launched Nilaya Anthology by Asian Paints, a sprawling and ambitious retail experience set in the heart of Mumbai's mill district in India, is poised to serve itself as the country’s largest 'international design destination'. Designed by Indian architect and designer Rooshad Shroff and his studio, comprising architects Abhinav Jain, Shreiya Kumar and Meher Shah, the expansive structure is articulated across two floors and is organised into three main zones—the ‘Shop House’, the ‘Showroom’ and the ‘Connector’. STIR reads and conveys the architectural intent of this space in conversation with Shroff, who shares an in-depth look at the specifics of Nilaya Anthology’s retail store design, its structural features and its tiered inspirations.

The 'Shop House' is a retail space wherein international design houses and brands with small-scale, artisan-led craft are experientially collocated to showcase a range of textiles, ceramics, glassware, antiques and handcrafted designs. The ‘Showroom’ section, split across both floors and connected via a central ramp that doubles as a viewing gallery, is a larger, more conventional retail space hosting various product categories, including furniture, bathroom, kitchen and domestic appliances, interior furnishing and lighting. At the edge of these spaces, on the ground floor, is the leafy 'Orangery' and a restaurant that will soon open, connected to each other and stationed across the building’s southern edge. The administrative spaces, storage rooms and washroom facilities are housed along the west face. The ‘Connector’, on the other hand, is a co-workspace for designers and architects and features a Material Library.

Initiated two and a half years ago, Shroff elaborates on the specifics of the project’s initial brief by Asian Paints, “Although things evolved while working on the project, it was quite clear, early on, that there would be one side which was more about mixed-use and curated objects of design. On the other side is the commercial area that would probably sustain this place. The idea of the ‘Orangery’ was also part of the first brief, which I thought was a very nice idea. They also wanted to create a space for bespoke artisanal objects from around the world.” Later additions such as the restaurant and Sabyasachi Mukherjee's showroom were integrated into the layout as the project progressed.

Shroff also refers to the ‘Shop House’ and the ‘Showroom’ as the ‘heart’ and ‘mind’ of the building, respectively. While the heart of the retail store, which spreads across nearly 45,000 sq.ft., is much more design-forward in its spatial scheme, the mind is conceived to emulate the layout of museums, where one moves from room to room and there is an absence of corridors. Speaking about this treatment, Shroff tells STIR, “Retail should never be a linear experience. You want people to meander and get lost."

Shroff’s vision to infuse Nilaya Anthology with an inherently architectural demeanour led him to consider its interiors as an open space where certain architectonic elements could be installed despite their monumentality or otherwise alfresco association.

One of these is the ‘Orangery’: while one of the initial ideas for this conservatory was a design evoking classical architecture, Shroff eventually went ahead with a more contemporary design. The ‘Orangery’, structured as a double-height atrium, remains intentionally exposed to a fair amount of sunlight through the extensive, double-glazed skylight and windows installed here. Its design is undertaken to ensure an influx of adequate natural light for the sundry plants that reside inside. The skylight panels come with integrated shading systems modulated to close in sync with the varying solar intensity and angles through different times and seasons.

Since the ‘Orangery’ sits next to the restaurant, it also serves as its future extension. This space is air-conditioned to guarantee an optimal temperature of around 22 degrees Celsius for ideal occupant comfort in Mumbai’s warm and humid weather, and for the unique botanical selection of local and imported flora’ to thrive.

Another meaningful feature is the building's central ramp, designed by Shroff to segment the larger space into different sections without completely cutting off these zones from each other, both visually and physically. “I wanted to make sure that we use the entire volume and also divide the space in a way that it becomes more ‘architectural’. I also did not want to cut off the ‘heart’ and ‘mind’ completely, and thought they should be connected, so that the expanse of the space is still felt,” he explains.

For the spatially monumental ramp’s conceptualisation, Shroff ruminated on the history of architecture to find theoretical references that could potentially point him towards envisaging an engaging architectural design for Nilaya Anthology. He refers to ‘architectural follies’—particularly Bernard Tschumi's usage of follies in Parc de la Villette in Paris—as one of the key inspirations behind this concept of injecting certain decorative and non-functional elements and installations within the retail architecture.

A manifestation of this is witnessed in the vestibules near the two entrances. Bearing geometrical forms and adorned with ceramic and handmade tiles, these transitory spaces mimic the archaic garden folly. Further, Rooshad infuses a tinge of golden hue in the interior design, within the vaulted Golden Room designed in tandem with the skylight to hold antiques, and in the customised brass-shaped terrazzo tiles layering the floor.

He also cites Le Corbusier's ‘Five Points of Architecture’ as inspiration—a set of principles that revolutionised modern architecture—which delimit factors such as raising a building off the ground with the help of columns; designing open and adaptable spaces sans interior walls; facade design without the consternation of making it structurally load bearing; horizontal windows for enhanced porosity and the integration of roof gardens. Shroff ponders on the importance of ramps and stairs in warranting and emphasising these principles. He also references Corbusier’s postulation of promenade architecture, which emphasises designing a dynamic, sensorial sequence of experiences for an individual moving through an urban space or a building, both horizontally and vertically.

Pivoting the genesis of the 10 ft. wide ramp on these ideas, Shroff places it in the middle of an open-plan floor plate. Moving through the ramp, one is provided vantage points to view the ‘Shop House’, the gallery and other allied areas of Nilaya Anthology. In addition to serving as a visual focal point in the building, the winding ramp also serves as a gallery in the centre. Ascending the ramp, one can engage with various artworks installed along its walls. “We wanted it to serve as an art gallery, for people to have that distance, to pause, look out, and view the artworks,” Shroff expounds.

The ramp as a multifunctional architectural element also holds within its cavity the building’s service ducts. This allows for a cleaner volume sans visible services and air conditioning ducts. The concealed vents within the ramp cool the entire expanse covertly. The ducts go down to the HVAC units housed in the basement, which was already on site when Shroff approached it for construction.

Rooshad was aware that the building would require later adaptations, particularly by Pavitra Rajaram, creative director of Nilaya Anthology.  Thereby, Shroff kept a flexible open-plan floor plate for desired modifications, despite integrating ample curves and cuts in the interiors. 

Staged for choreographing storytelling experiences in the future, Nilaya Anthology bears ample marks of a challenging architectural endeavour, given its scale and retail complexity. Shroff’s approach, meticulously navigated, integrates designated ‘heart’ and ‘mind’ spaces, and a centrally located visual anchor augmenting the sculptural essence of this consumerist space. 

Project Details

Name: Nilaya Anthology
Location: Peninsula Corporate Park, Peninsula Point, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Client: Asian Paints
Principal Architect: Rooshad Shroff
Design Team: Abhinav Jain, Shreiya Kumar, Meher Shah
Area: 1,00,000 sq.ft.
Year of Completion: 2025
Lighting designer: vis a vis, India
Lighting products: ERCO (Germany), FLOS (Italy), LEDFlex (United Kingdom), Barrisol (France)