Since inception in 1950, the family-run R Kumar opticians chain has gone leaps and bounds and now operates six branches across Ahmedabad, one of India‘s biggest and most dynamic cities. Its newest outpost is situated in the leafy Bopal neighbourhood, far west of the historic heart of the city. The store occupies an 1,100 sq.ft. (102 sqm.) unit on the premises of Aarohi Verve, a seven-storey office building alongside one of the area’s main thoroughfares. R Kumar tapped local architecture and design practice I’m D’sign and its experimental division I’m X to create a fitting setting, and one that’s fully inspired by today’s fast-evolving Digital Age and its highly influential online domain. Opting for silver, a colour which dominates the setting and effortlessly signals progress, hi-tech, and last but not least, a bright future, a series of fantastical custom-made furnishings dot the retail space.

Crafted from shiny metal, the furnishings include displays in fantastical pagoda and stupa-inspired shapes, display cabinets with glass tops, various wall-mounted shelving, and a curved sales counter with a striking canopy that doubles as shelving. The vaulted backlit ceiling and a series of overhead LED screens showing branded footage add further to the spaceship vibe. The flooring, crafted from hand-cut black granite tiles, makes the silvery volumes stand out and adds to the visual drama. If you ask us, the eye for detail is evident, but arguably best demonstrated by the mannequin heads sculpted in rings of clear glass to match the display unit. The new R Kumar store carries eyewear frames, sunglasses, contact lenses and eyewear accessories, and also provides optometry services by highly skilled staff and using the latest technology.