Anita Dongre’s new flagship store is an ode to the grandeur of old Bombay

The 200-year-old building is peppered with Rajasthani design elements—a nod to the designer’s place of birth

Anita Dongre’s new flagship store sits right across the street from two of the most iconic spots in South Mumbai, the Jehangir Art Gallery and the historic David Sassoon library. Nestled in Kala Ghoda, the designer took up the challenge of restoring a 200 year old Sassoon Building (which took a year) into a store that housed culture, heritage, and luxury.

The two-storeyed store is Dongre’s love letter to Mumbai and its bygone era, where the old meets the new, whether it’s the hand-painted pichwai walls that hold 200-years-old exposed teak beams or the veranda with cast iron railings and stained glass recreated from patterns the Sassoon building from the 1800s. Together with conservation architect Kirtida Unwalla and Shonan Purie Trehan, the founder of Language.Architecture.Body,Dongre brought back the grandeur of old Bombayevery inch of the 8500 square feet of the Sassoon Building.

We spoke to the designer about her vision for the store, the painstaking process of restoration and how she tried to bring back the essence of old Bombay into it all.  

What meaning and sentimental value does the heritage of the Sassoon Building hold for you?

Bombay is home [for me], and the Sassoon Building has witnessed so many changes the city has undergone. In restoring the building, we wanted to keep as much of the original form as possible. The stained glass windows, the tiles, the timber beams, and the staircase: I wanted to bring back the luxury of 19th-Century Bombay by blending in the effortless grace of 21st-Century Mumbai. It’s been a particular joy to realise a vision that mixes Indian crafts with colonial architecture against art that celebrates nature’s bounty. I’m excited to watch people experience this space through all their five senses.

How did you go about conceptualising and restoring the building? How long did it take to see your vision come to life?

Before we started the project, we had a clear vision to keep the bones of the building intact and retain as much of the original structure and design as possible. It’s taken us over a year of careful conservation work to have the space look like it does. Given its heritage value, it was truly eye-opening when we started working on the building and discovered its many hidden areas.

Kirtida worked on preserving the building along with the heritage committee. The building, the timber floors, the high ceilings, the wooden stairs, the stained glass, and the beautiful tiles on the second-floor balcony have all been restored from the original, with some pieces painstakingly recreated from archival images. As far as the interiors go, we partnered with Shonan Trehan to bring to life contemporary Rajasthan in the heart of Kala Ghoda. I wanted an elegant, clean, non-fussy space, like all my stores, but with the soul of Rajasthan.

How did your collaboration with Shonan come about?

I was familiar with Shonan’s work a few years before we collaborated on designing my first store in New York. I love her ability to incorporate craft stories into architectural design. We also share a love for functional spaces. Since that first store, there has been no looking back.

What is your favourite part of the store?

Every corner has a detail that deserves mention. If I had to choose, my favourite would be the olta-style verandah–an entrance of sorts found in the traditional houses of Gujarat and Rajasthan–visible from the ground floor with access to the first floor. We retained the original cast iron railings and stained glass recreated from patterns the Sassoon Building flaunted in the 1800s. Rajasthani jharokhas frame this verandah. 

What’s next for you?

I want to take this time to experience the store with our customers. We’re also working on a few exciting international projects, but more on that later.

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