Engineered by architect Shahen Mistry, the redesign comes with gentle nods to the brand’s history along with a youthful palette of pastels and playful windows.
Rachna Shah, 28, grew up listening to her father’s stories about a toffee that melted in the mouth, creamy curd laced with a hint of sugar and a giant jalebi that oozed syrupy delight. The protagonist of those childhood tales was the Parsi Dairy Farm on Mumbai’s Princess Street. The legendary dairy brand loved and enjoyed by Mumbaikars since 1916 has now gone through a metamorphosis and it begins with a bright red door. “In many cultures a red door is a symbol of welcome and hospitality. It makes people feel invited and creates a warm first impression. We also wanted the people passing by to pause in awe of the shop façade and feel invited to step in and explore the store,” explains Shahen Mistry, principal architect and Founder of Shahen Mistry Architects, the company behind the redesign of the store.
Working With History
Being a heritage structure and an old construction meant numerous structural challenges for Mistry and his team. “We had to blend contemporary flair and youthful vibrancy into a space while honouring its rich 100-year-old legacy. This delicate dance between the past and the present was not only challenging but also necessary to preserve the history we were working with. When it came to PDF, there were countless stories within the walls which had to be woven into the design,” says Mistry who began by seamlessly integrating the shop area (600 square feet) with the remainder of the 1400 square feet dedicated to admin, storage and office spaces.
Nostalgia Drenched Interiors
Behind the red door is a pastel world of dairy, mithai and confectionary. The layout is an open plan spearheaded by with a massive display fridge that houses PDR’s range of mithai. Rows of peda, khaja and piped jalebi sit comfortably with ice cream barfi and suterfeni. Next door is small café style seating. This space also serves as a bona fide gallery into the brand’s history with a wall dedicated to PDF’s oldest advertisements, sepia toned family photos, the iconic blue uniform of the milk delivery men, earliest coupons, et cetera.
There’s a gifting zone with red cabinetry and chairs upholstered in florals. This is where people can put together a hamper or simply chill with a cup of sweetened yogurt, which by the way, is dished out from a quirky cycle cart. The interiors are a mix of charming period features and sense of sumptuousness. Like the white terrazzo flooring with red and blue chips (a nod to the brand’s colours) and old world wooden counters. The ample use of glass adds to the illusion of space and lightness. At the corner is the owner’s cabin embellished with stained glass partitions and grounded with wood. “We retained the original spot for the cabin as it creates a sense of familiarity for the family and everyone working there,” says Mistry.
Parsi Dairy Farm is a modern eatery where light flows freely and the impressive range of sweets and dairy is highlighted almost like art, and made an integral part of the design. It’s a space where heritage and history are celebrated within a perfectly modern and fun landscape.
