Kempegowda Airport, Duty-Free Concepts

Concepts for Departures, Arrivals and Express stores feathered with colour

Flemingo Duty-Free went through a tender process with the aim to secure the duty-free at the newly developed T2 “Terminal in the Garden” within Kempegowda International Airport, India.

The team at Flemingo to Barber to create a new brand identity, Duty-Free retail planning and design, a full branding package (patterns, colours, fonts, packaging) along with signage and uniform design. The scale of the duty-free locations within this newly built airport was vast; 1,840 square meters for the Departure Shop and 1,935 square metres for Arrivals, as well as two last minute Express shops that were located near the Departures gates.

Barber dived into the research of the local area, the landscape, monuments, architecture, people and wildlife. The diverse animal species in the nearby natural habitat were breathtaking, and the identity we created began to form around the Indian Roller “NeelKanth” – a type of native bird and Karnataka’s state bird, closely associated with Hindu legends. The feathers of the wings are electric blue, contrasting to the stripes of bright turquoise; a captivating and interesting species that is part of the region’s make-up. The primary colours for the branding are therefore shades of blue, with bright pink, oranges and green in the secondary colour palette. The logo is shaped using feathers from the NeelKanth, and the font is clean and crisp.

The impressive scale of the Departures duty-free shop at over ten metres high features a walk-through concept; along this journey airport guests would be met by a swooping flock of Indian Roller’s to direct the customer, gently and colourfully from the entrance through all the key retail and experiential zones to the point of purchase and exit. Perfume and Cosmetics were designed to be housed in an experiential sandalwood cage, encircling a scented and central tree and creating a personalised customer experience along with brand and retail activation.

This area, to be adorned with planting, would also feature recycled materials such as terrazzo tiled floor, plastic and papers in-keeping with the terminal’s environmental design approach.

Sandalwood is a local indigenous material, and this was used throughout the retail concept along with local clay finishes, recyclable metals and a variety of sustainable materials and fabrics. Local patterns and textures inspired by local Bidri handycraft, Channapatna wooden toys, and katsui & lambani embroidery were woven into the departmental categories to add a ‘sense of place’ to the shopping experience.

The store concept featured an event garden, male grooming, Tobacco category, Liquor, Whisky & Wine, and Confectionary & Fine Food.

Natural materials and woven structures were proposed in the ceiling cover and overhead feature decor, with the bird silhouettes in bright pink and blue still guiding customers throughout the space. The services and main pay point became one large area at the end of the customer journey for ease and speed via assisted sale or self-checkout.

The Express shops have a minimalistic facade and match the main stores; using the same flooring and shelving fixtures. The spaces, albeit much smaller; also featured a central tree with timber branches reaching the perimeter of the store and were adorned with natural planting throughout. Bringing the outdoors in was an important part of our concept and fitted well with the four pillars of the airport’s guiding principles, one being ‘terminal within in a garden’.

The Arrivals duty-free Shop has a much more simple approach with a customer walk-through . A central ‘Experience Zone’ creates a unique sense of place within this large retail environment. The materials palette was kept natural and minimal allowing the emphasis on the nature elements such as the decorative birds and planting to add vibrancy and impact. It was designed with the same language as the main Departures shop (and last-minute shops) and provides an inspirational and immersive design language that runs through the entire airport shopping experience in a seamless and memorable shopping journey.