Galeries Lafayette
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Galeries Lafayette unveils a sweeping 90,000-square-foot store in Fort, Mumbai

The renowned Parisian department store Galeries Lafayette makes its long-awaited Mumbai debut in the city’s heritage precinct.
 
By Nuriyah Johar
 
On the atrium floor of the glittering new Galeries Lafayette in Mumbai, a lotus-motif parchinkari inlay anchors the space as your gaze rises to the Cupola—inspired by l’Intrépide (the French observation balloon of 1796)—overhead. A concept-driven space on the fourth level takes Modernist design cues from Le Corbusier’s Chandigarh through colour, material and form. All throughout the 90,000 square foot luxury department store, Indian artists leave their mark through murals, mixed media installations and graphic narratives. If you’ve ever visited Galeries Lafayette’s exquisite Parisian flagship (or any of its other outposts across the globe), you’ll notice the striking parallels in this five-storey Mumbai chapter—but you’ll also see the city itself threaded through the experience. Within two heritage colonial buildings in Mumbai’s historic mercantile quarter—Voltas House and the neighbouring Turner Morrison building—Galeries Lafayette emerges as an exciting new frontier in luxury retail in India.
 
A surreal archway by visual artist Sheehij Kaul leads you into the store. Beyond, the pièce de résistance that floats within the central atrium is the life-size Cupola, inspired by the famous l’Intrépide.
In bringing the brand’s 130-year-old Parisian legacy to life with Mumbai’s inimitable savoir-faire, UK-based architecture firm Virgile + Partners made it a point to reference both cultures. “The distinctive Parisian style and Indian craftsmanship have inspired our concept for Galeries Lafayette Mumbai,” says Ewald Damen, Creative Director & Managing Partner of Virgile + Partners. “The architecture has been inspired by the French Hôtel Particulier and grand Indian palatial design, referencing floral and Art Deco, bringing both cultures together in a luxurious environment in a residential setting—a Maison de Couture.”
 

An Exercise In Restoration

The facade

Right at the outset, as one walks along the bustling Bank Street, Voltas House and Turner Morrison, with their grand, towering façades adorned with bas-relief ships and locomotives, immediately convey the brand’s ethos. Benoit Laumaille, Creative Director of Galeries Lafayette, tells AD, “This project is a dialogue between two extraordinary legacies. Opening Galeries Lafayette within two iconic buildings in South Mumbai is an incredible opportunity.” The facades of both buildings are fitted with French canopies and lush planting that reference the charming, Haussmannian avenues of Paris. A fresh architectural insertion not only connects the two buildings but also provides a new dedicated entrance and houses key service points in a central location. None of this, however, was without its challenges. Damen adds, “The biggest challenge has been to modernise the full interior of the buildings and completely renovate the interior with a new minimal structure as one of the first façade-retaining projects in India.”

One of the several multi-brand salons across the store. The furniture throughout has been crafted in collaboration with Indian makers. Bespoke pieces by Jaipur Rugs line the space.
Onyx and marble floors are lined with bespoke mosaics and custom-coloured terrazzo.

The interior layout largely follows the standard blueprint of Galeries Lafayette department stores: the ground and first floors feature curated salons and boudoir-style retail experiences, while the Beauty Hall lies one level below. The second and third floors house both brand boutiques and multibrand ‘edit’ spaces, and Level Four presents a youth-driven, high-concept retail environment.

Artistic Interventions

Art is central to the design of Galeries Lafayette Mumbai, according to Laumaille, who talks about the Indian talents who were invited to reinterpret Parisian and Galeries Lafayette codes. As one enters, a surreal arched ceiling by visual artist Sheehij Kaul takes inspiration from Parisian folklore through scenes of carnivals, animal figures, music, and craft traditions. A soaring escalator wall by illustrator Reshidev RK, titled Windows to Paris, captures the vibrant spirit of the city through a mixed-media form. Sisters Aashika and Tanishaa Cunha of Plane Crazy Studios juxtaposed craft and tech to design a digital wall where hand-drawn Parisian pen-and-ink and animation bring couture-clad animals—lions in tailored coats, birds in exaggerated hats—to life.

A view of the central atrium from the ground floor.

Though perhaps what is most noteworthy, the pièce de résistance that floats within the central atrium is the life-size Cupola, inspired by the famous l’Intrépide, the French hydrogen observation balloon used by the military in 1796. “The cupola was designed for the grand opening to evoke a magical journey from Paris to Mumbai. The iconic balloon, a strong symbol of Paris, especially following the Olympic Games, further enhances this connection. Additionally, the graphic design was conceived by Reshidev RK,” says Laumaille.

The third floor houses both brand boutiques and multibrand ‘edit’ spaces.

When you walk up the grand staircase, meander through the many conceptual salons, or pause outside, it is clear that Galeries Lafayette possesses a je ne sais quoi rarely seen in other retail ventures in the city. Its foray into India, through an alliance with the Aditya Birla Group, comes at a time when the currency of legacy and heritage is stronger than ever, setting a new benchmark for luxury experiences in the Maximum City and beyond.

Published in Architectural Digest

Galeries Lafayette

Galeries Lafayette