Author: Nazni Yoonus V
Site Location: Gurugram, Haryana
Institute: DG College of Architecture
Advisor: Indu Sreenivasan

Description

Beyond the Box: Adapting IKEA’s Design Language to Gurugram’s Cultural Heritage explores how a global retail giant can evolve to reflect local identity. IKEA, the world’s largest furniture retailer, is known for its standardized, functional, and cost-effective store design. While this model ensures brand consistency, it often leads to placeless architecture. Gurugram—a rapidly urbanizing, planned city dominated by high-rises and modern glass facades—presents an opportunity to question this approach and reintroduce cultural depth into retail architecture.

In recent years, IKEA itself has begun to move away from the “one-size-fits-all” model. IKEA Vienna, completed in 2022, is a prime example, designed as a compact, urban-friendly store with terraces and green facades—demonstrating how the brand is evolving to respond to its context Inspired by this evolution, the project proposes an IKEA for Sector 47, Gurugram, on a 9-acre site with a built-up area of 45,651 m². The design integrates Mughal architectural principles—arches, symmetry, domes, and courtyard-like pause areas—enhancing cultural resonance and enriching user experience.

The design addresses common challenges in IKEA stores—long circulation paths, wayfinding issues, and limited cultural connection—by introducing clear navigation, pause zones, and social spaces. The outcome envisions an IKEA that is not just a retail destination but also a cultural landmark: one that balances efficiency with rootedness, global identity with local heritage, and commerce with community.

Drawings

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