The Tank: Redefining The Store As A Community Space

GURGAON Reliance Brands’ The Tank store in Gurgaon is a luxury brand outlet which hosts more than 20 international brands. Designed by 02JUNE DESIGN STUDIOS + FEWSTEPSAHEAD, the store is positioned as a community space, facilitating interactions and in the process breaking a few stereotypes around store design. Aesthetically the store is also an amalgamation of varied cultural and social themes drawn from across the world. Here’s a detailed look.

- Payal Gulati

The concept of the store revolves around the function of a community space, where people can come work, read, play, relax, have conversations over a coffee and shop at the same time. The space is thus meant to be more of a community space than a store. The objective of the Tank is to challenge the stereotype of how the store should be, to challenge the way people shop and develop a new culture,” says Gajendra Kumar, Architect and Project Manager, 02 June, the company which designed the store.

The concept of the store is divided into two parts. i.e. The Culture & The Aesthetic.

Culturally, the aim is to not just create a store, but also bring alive a space which is inviting, and which encouraged people to relax and enjoy. To keep them engaged in the space, various social zones have been designed - like the cafe, the co-working space, and the bike for hire space. You could just hire a bike for free for a quick ride nearby and give it back at the store. Plus, there are entertainment zones including pinball machines and comic zones with a series of premium comics that get updated frequently. “These spaces don’t just provide a break from the daily grind, but also provide a good platform for new conversations. In addition to these, the space is pet friendly and also accommodates a vending machine for sanitary napkins and other things,” says Kumar.