Aarong, the flagship brand of BRAC, has long been a beacon of Bangladeshi craft and heritage. Since its founding in 1978, it has evolved from a humble platform supporting rural artisans into one of the most iconic lifestyle retailers in the country. At every stage of its journey, Aarong has remained dedicated to preserving traditional crafts while embracing innovation in design and retail. This commitment culminates in its latest and most ambitious endeavor: the Aarong Flagship Store in Dhanmondi. This isn’t just a new store; it’s a monumental celebration of Bangladeshi craftsmanship, culture, and creativity.
With its grand opening, the Aarong Flagship Store has become the world’s largest craft store. Yet beyond the scale, it is the thoughtfulness of the design, the intricacy of the artistry, and the profound connection to Bangladesh’s heritage that make it truly remarkable. Here, architecture becomes a canvas, interiors breathe with narrative, and every art installation stands as a tribute to the nation’s soul.
Weaving a Legacy in Concrete
At the heart of Dhanmondi, where tradition meets the rhythm of urban life, stands a building that does more than offer products—it tells a story. The Aarong Flagship Outlet, designed by the visionary team at Synthesis Architects, is not merely a retail space—it is a woven fabric of heritage, memory, and movement. The design draws its soul from an age-old practice: weaving. For generations, Bangladeshi artisans have mastered the loom, interlacing threads into forms that embody both beauty and utility. This fundamental craft became the architectural metaphor—fluid, connected, and timeless.
A singular, sweeping ribbon—symbolic of woven fabric—emerges from the ground, bends, flows, and re-emerges, wrapping the building in a gesture that is both gentle and bold. This ribbon, meticulously cast in handcrafted concrete, intertwines tradition with contemporary expression. It shields and shelters, filters light and air, and gracefully performs the roles of both skin and soul.
Designing for Aarong, a brand synonymous with preserving and promoting Bangladeshi craftsmanship, was an exercise in alignment. It was about giving architectural form to a cultural mission. The interior was choreographed as an experience. Color, texture, and flow were orchestrated to tell stories of rural hands, tribal patterns, and generational skill. The internal movement—voids, escalators, panoramic lifts—echoes the interlacing of threads on a loom. The building doesn’t simply house craft; it embodies it.
There were challenges—limited plot size, urban code restrictions, and the complex layering of customer experience. But like the imperfections in a handwoven textile, these constraints added to the character. The architects embraced a rare construction process involving custom shuttering techniques that fused handcrafted care with structural innovation. It was, in many ways, architecture as craft—thoughtful, tactile, and deeply human.
The Aarong Flagship Outlet is more than a commercial destination—it is a living artifact. A building where the spirit of Bangladesh rises through poured concrete, where ribbons of history and modernity interlace, and where the vision of Synthesis Architects comes alive in every curve, corner, and corridor.
Narratives in Space: Designing Aarong’s Interior
Stepping inside Aarong’s Dhanmondi flagship store is like entering a carefully curated journey through the textures, colors, and stories of Bangladesh. The interior design—an inspired collaboration between DWm4 Intrends Ltd, KNMR Ltd – Quirk & Associates JV, and Aarong’s in-house team—transforms the space into something far more than a retail outlet. It becomes a living, breathing storybook.
From the outset, Aarong’s internal creative team played a vital role in shaping the vision. With deep roots in the brand’s philosophy and a nuanced understanding of its audience, they ensured the design remained authentically rooted in Bangladeshi heritage while pushing the boundaries of modern retail aesthetics.
Guided by a philosophy rooted in transparency, movement, and nature, the space invites exploration. A rich interplay of materials, tones, and layers creates a rhythmic flow throughout the store. The tactile warmth of crafted surfaces, the strategic use of natural light, and the organic integration of greenery collectively form an ambiance that is both calming and dynamic.
Each area reveals a distinct narrative, woven through thoughtful transitions that guide visitors from one crafted world to another.
Every detail reflects a broader intention: to connect the threads of past and present, tradition and innovation, artisans and their audience. The space becomes part of the product’s story, amplifying its meaning and value. Executed with precision and artistry by the expert team at Charuta Limited, the interior fit-out brings this collective vision to life.
At the heart of this journey was the dedicated team of architects and designers from Aarong, whose cultural insight and creative vision shaped an environment that celebrates both legacy and innovation
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Art Installations: Where Stories and Spaces Intertwine
Beyond architecture and interiors, the Aarong Flagship Store stands out for its large-scale art installations—transforming it from a retail space into a cultural landmark. Each piece, created by a blend of independent artists and Aarong’s in-house team, captures a different facet of Bangladeshi life and heritage.
- The Great Arena: A Monumental Nakshi Kantha
Designed by Samiul Alam Himel in collaboration with Aarong’s in-house team, this towering four-story installation reimagines the storytelling tradition of Nakshi Kantha in architectural form. Traditionally stitched by rural women to document everyday life, these narrative quilts are here translated into flowing sculptural lines and vivid, layered colors. Titled “MohaArongo: The Great Arena,” the piece stretches 44 feet high and 10 feet wide, handcrafted over six months by 250 artisans from rural Bangladesh.
The work is not only monumental in scale but also in meaning. Created from repurposed fabrics, salvaged beads, and discarded ornaments, it embodies a philosophy of renewal and resilience. The piece weaves a narrative journey through rural life, folklore, urban aspirations, and cosmic imagination—stitched in intricate Nakshi Kantha techniques drawn from Aarong’s archives and reinterpreted across various fabrics. Orange threads guide the eye through this swirling story, culminating in motifs like peacocks, trees of life, and village fairs, each carrying hidden stories within their forms.
Rising through the central atrium, the installation invites viewers to look upward and inward—serving as both a literal and symbolic thread that binds the building together. It stands as a tribute to the evolving nature of tradition, where age-old stories find new expression in space and form, and where the spirit of Bangladesh’s artisans continues to ascend—one stitch at a time.
- Santal Gaon: A Tribute to Ethnographic Life
Curated by designer Marufa A. Chowdhury, this striking installation pays homage to the Santal community—one of the oldest ethnographic groups in Bangladesh whose roots date back over three to four thousand years. Titled “Santal Gaon” (meaning Santal Village), the work is a poetic ode to a life shaped in harmony with nature. The mural is built around the elemental materials of clay, water, and fire, reflecting the Santals’ deep connection with earth and water—the lifeblood of their settlements and rituals.
Crafted with contributions from nearly a hundred potter families from across the country—including Dhaka, Patuakhali, Shariatpur, Savar, Dhamrai, Manikganj, Rangpur, Tangail, and Rajshahi—the piece showcases an array of clay utensils and artifacts from everyday rural life. These include pitha molds, bharta bowls, oil lamps, tepa putul (clay dolls), miniature pitchers, dinner plates, and vessels—all of which form a textural tapestry of sustenance, ritual, and tradition. Interwoven among these items are bead ornaments that add a touch of shimmer, symbolizing the enduring sparkle of cultural memory.
Clay tiles etched with nakshi kantha motifs form the backdrop, layering stories within stories—folk tales, ancestral wisdom, and village rhythms captured in tactile narrative. In its totality, Santal Gaon is both a tribute and a reminder—a window into a way of life the
at is simple, sustainable, and steeped in the quiet wisdom of the land.
- Fantasy Forest: A Child’s Wonderland
On the children’s floor, artist Saidul Haque Juise has created a whimsical and enchanting installation—“Fantasy Forest.” A vibrant forest filled with playful creatures and soft, soothing shades of green. This whimsical installation is far more than a mere visual delight; it’s a dynamic space that encourages both play and imagination. It invites children and adults alike to step into a world where the boundaries between design, storytelling, and nature are beautifully blurred.
Every corner of the space is designed to spark creativity, with furniture and display racks shaped like elephants, deer, and other forest creatures, turning everyday retail elements into playful objects of interaction. These unique features transform the space into a storytelling playground, where children are invited to touch, explore, and engage with their surroundings in an immersive, fun-filled experience.
It’s a magical escape into nature’s dreamlike qualities, where the wonders of the forest are brought to life, all within the heart of the city. While it remains a retail space, it also serves as a sanctuary for joy, learning, and creativity—offering a delightful and interactive environment where children can play, dream, and connect with the magic of nature.
A Legacy Crafted in Every Detail
The Aarong Flagship Store is more than just a place to shop; it is a living testament to the soul of Bangladesh. Every element—from the structure to the art installations—has been thoughtfully crafted to reflect the rich tapestry of the nation’s heritage, while embracing modernity. It stands as a cultural landmark where architecture, design, and craftsmanship merge seamlessly to create a space that honors tradition and celebrates the future.
This collaborative masterpiece, brought to life by architects, designers, artists, and the dedicated Aarong retail team, embodies a shared vision: to preserve and reimagine Bangladeshi heritage for the world to experience. Each corner of the store tells a story, each material used has a purpose, and every piece of artwork pays homage to the country’s cultural richness. It is a space where shopping transforms into storytelling, architecture evokes emotion, and design becomes a reflection of culture.
Aarong invites you to step inside and witness how design can transcend the conventional. In an era when many retail spaces feel the same, the Aarong Flagship Store stands apart—offering an immersive journey that fuses culture, commerce, and creativity. It’s a place to not only explore but also connect with the heart of Bangladesh, where history and craftsmanship breathe through every wall, and where the beauty of hand-made creations echoes throughout.
Welcome to the Aarong Flagship Store in Dhanmondi—more than just the world’s largest craft store, it is a destination that encapsulates the very essence of Bangladesh, inviting all who visit to experience its soul.
Written by Samia Sharmin Biva
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