Ogaan Studios, Dhanmill

Dhanmill, New Delhi
2023
Ogaan
9,220 sq ft

Location: Dhan Mill, Delhi · 10,000 sq.ft. · Client: Ogaan · Includes: 30-seater Caara café, boutiques, pop-ups, mezzanine studios

An old mill transformed into a contemporary stage — where retail, art, and performance converge in a sequence of box theaters, double-height spaces, and a café.

Housed within the brick and steel shell of an old mill in Delhi, Ogaan Studios is designed as a layered experience that merges retail with culture. The architecture preserves the industrial authenticity of the mill while amplifying its drama through scale. Double-height spaces become the canvas for large artworks and theatrical installations, while circulation is choreographed around a central stage-like core, blurring the line between shopping, performance, and exhibition.

Individual boutiques and studios are treated as “box theaters” — discrete enclosures, each with its own set-like atmosphere — that collectively form a larger cultural landscape. This dramaturgy of space allows for flexibility, accommodating pop-ups, showcases, and evolving retail narratives. The inclusion of a 30-seater Caara café further anchors the complex as a social hub, encouraging lingering, dialogue, and community engagement.

Material choices maintain the honesty of the industrial context: exposed brick, steel, concrete, and timber are balanced with refined finishes to achieve an atmosphere that is both raw and sophisticated. Ogaan Studios transforms an abandoned industrial site into a contemporary stage for fashion, art, and culture — embodying LAB’s ethos of inventive, rigorous, and sensitive design.