Discovering palettes
Drawing inspiration from the red-and-black colours of machines in the employee zone, the architect established a language of striking red for this design aesthetic. An industrial look prevails throughout the interiors, to complement the business of the client. Designed to afford a certain level of polish to the spaces, the store is a far cry from the usual visual image evoked by ‘tyre shops.’ The interiors feature the defining red offset by black, grey and white, all lit up with contemporary lighting.
Division of labour
Five zones outline the shop area – a workspace, a display, a customer lounge, a billing office and a main office. Keeping in mind climatic constraints, the front offers covered parking for the cars to shield from heavy Kerala rains. A pantry, restrooms and storage flank the rear or the building. A vehicle bay to the North accounts for ease of accessibility.
A central main office supervises all store operations around it from a single space. An open plan was adopted for the billing, lounge, and display areas. The given floor height is 16 ft to allow easy vehicular access (trucks, cars, and buses) for alignment and balancing. Thus in the office area, the 16 ft height was effectively utilized by providing a mezzanine floor.
Delegating materiality
The building is developed in a framed structure and an abundant use of perforated GI sheets in the ceiling and lounge graces the spaces. Due to their rare use in Kerala interiors, they were particularly difficult to source. Kadappa stone was laid on the work area for a strong base to handle heavy-duty tools and movement of vehicles while black rustic vitrified tiles were laid on the remaining area.
Developing language
An array of metal-framed furniture is highlighted here. Industrial dashes such as the office configuration, sleek partitions and a stark black ceiling are balanced out by light wood laminate furniture and ashy walls, creating design warmth. A mezzanine displays tyres and wheels, reemphasizing the brand story. Tyre marks along the work area cleverly evoke the line of business. A constant flow of metal, wood, glass, and greenery meets the pops of piquant colour and suspended ceilings. For the architect personally, the customer lounge is the highlight of the project, a focal point with swatches of red – red carpets, a red sofa spelling comfort and red accent chairs.
Encapsulating employee-friendly as well as customer-friendly design in a safe environment, this state-of-the-art tyre shop in Kerala is one of its kind.
Fact File:
Project name: PALS TYRES
Total Area: 3000 Sqft
Location: Thrissur. Kerala
Architect name: Ar. Lameez P M
Photography Credits: Ashique Hassan
About the architect:
A professional, creative and detail-oriented designer, Ar. Lameez P M has more than ten years of experience in architecture and interior design. Her goal is to better shape the built environment through the creation of beautiful functional architecture and communicate good ideas by developing unique designs. For her, ‘the best architecture speaks the language of what it is designed for.’
