Immersive Beauty Salon Blends Indian Heritage with Modern Design
Metonia Designs, an Indian architecture office, has created an immersive environment inspired by dusk at Geetanjali Salon in Ahmedabad. The studio, headed by architects Prakhar Jain and Shivangi Sharma, aimed to challenge the traditional format of wellness spaces. “It was one of those projects where we happily set aside precedent,” said Sharma. “The clients wanted something radical for this flagship store, a place where grooming transcends routine to become ritual.”
The project features a uniform rust-coloured material palette, recalling the appearance of sun-baked earth at dusk. The design is intended to create a sense of comfort and calm, drawing patrons into the space while muting external chaos. “Spaces appear to melt into one another,” said Jain. “Be it day or night, you cannot measure time within.”
The salon’s reception area features red Agra sandstone and a monolithic welcome desk crafted from stone and weathered steel. The ground floor includes a gallery-like hairstyling zone with mirrors set between rows of pillars, a hair colouring gallery, and a barber’s station. A men’s grooming wing is separated from the main space by a latticed screen evoking traditional jaali room dividers.
Innovations
The design incorporates locally resonant materials and a thoughtful layout. A sculptural white staircase spirals up towards the first floor, connecting to private treatment rooms and bridal spaces. “Wedding preparation often involves families spending hours together in salons,” said Prakhar Jain, architect, Metonia Designs. “We wanted these moments to feel unhurled and special.”
The upper storey contains dedicated spaces for hair, make-up, pedicures, and draping a bridal saree. Metonia Designs is a multidisciplinary design practice founded in 2019 in New Delhi, adopting a contextual and culturally led approach to projects.
Image Courtesy: Dezeen
