As such, they are a fitting symbol for the new maison, Hermès’ sixth worldwide and its fourth address in London. Spread over nearly 2,000 square meters, the store brings together multiple buildings, five floors, 55 rooms, three elevators and a roof terrace, with the oldest part of the site dating back to 1769.
‘Here you have a French company trying to express what they love about the British Architecture And Culture,’ says Hermès artistic director Pierre-Alexis Dumas. ‘Another challenge was how to bring a bit of Hermès culture into such a large historic space – six buildings dating from the 19th century to the present, brought together by four staircases.’
The redesign was carried out by Parisian architecture agency RDAI under the supervision of artistic director Denis Montel, and original details were retained wherever possible. ‘Central London is full of layers of history and we didn’t want to forget that,’ says Pierre-Alexis. ‘We found pieces of the mosaic flooring and has left them visible.’
The store is also incredibly rich in art. Over 550 works from the Émile Hermès collection are housed throughout the space, which Pierre-Alexis modestly describes as ‘a little piece of Hermès culture’. The atrium also features a special horse sculpture by British artist Jessica Weatherly, while the windows on New Bond Street house The Rockabarn, an imaginative horse grooming parlor created in crochet, knitting and embroidery by English artist Kate Jenkins.
Elsewhere, beauty, perfume and fashion jewelery sit inside a fanciful orangery, with walls painted by London-based illustrator Katie Scott. The collection of the house unfolds in five spaces. Upstairs, the women’s shoe department is decorated in powder pink mineral mortar and wood panelling, with a mosaic floor leading to the ready-to-wear room. The men’s universe features reclaimed oak floors, geometric carpets and deep blue textured wallcoverings made in Lancashire using techniques first developed in the Victorian period.
