Hermès extends its New Bond Street flagship putting a second Henry Moore on show
Following a nine month renovation, this week Hermès quietly reopened its New Bond Street flagship's doors within the shopping strip's iconic Time & Life building that has been the French brand's London home for the past 40 years.
Doubling its size to 673 sq m, the two-storey store, designed by Hermès architect RDAI and led by Denis Montel, has eaten up the brand's former office space to create a savoire faire emporium that includes a new dedicated homewares department, which faces out onto a grand, topiary-lined courtyard that features Henry Moore's 'Draped Reclining Figure' sculpture. The piece has never before been on view to the public. (The other Moore on show being the frieze on the Time & Life Building, of course.)
English Heritage listed wooden panelling and light features designed by RY Goodden and Ellis Mile have been thoughtfully united with modern materials that showcase craftsmanship wherever possible. And while the exterior's Portland stone cladding designed by Michael Rosenhauer in 1951 has remained completely untouched, inside, the menswear and silk section that greets shoppers at street level has been updated with a terrazzo Fantini cement floor that was poured on site (taking one month), and is flecked with Hermès-owned Saint-Louis crystal.
From here a sweeping, curved staircase of polished Venetian plaster entices guests upwards to the open-plan second floor that houses womenswear, shoes, fragrance, jewellery, stationery, equestrian and leather goods. A neutral palette has been maintained throughout, while curved skylights and woven copper blinds by Sophie Mallebranche continue the artisan theme as they flood the store with light. Display classes pair acid washed glass and European cherry wood, (fittingly sealed with leather pulls), just as the oak wooden floors are interspersed with mushroom-hued carpets.
The next month will bring a flood of festivities for Hermès in London with the brand's return to the Saatchi Gallery in early April with its latest exhibition 'Wanderand', built around the theme of Flânerie - the freeing art of urban wandering. Spread across eleven rooms, the series of installations will include various media created by a range of artists as a fantastical cabinet de curiosites. Watch this space.
ADDRESS
Hermès
155 New Bond Street
London W1S 2UA
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
-
Don’t Move, Improve 2024: London’s bold, bright and boutique home renovations
Don’t Move, Improve 2024 reveals its shortlist, with 16 home designs competing for the top spot, to be announced in May
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Perfumer H has bottled the scent of dandelions blowing in the wind
Perfumer H has debuted a new fragrance for spring, called Dandelion. Lyn Harris tells Wallpaper* about the process of its creation
By Hannah Tindle Published
-
The best fashion moments at Milan Design Week 2024
Scarlett Conlon discovers the moments fashion met design at Salone del Mobile and Milan Design Week 2024, as Loewe, Hermès, Bottega Veneta, Prada and more staged intriguing presentations and launches across the city
By Scarlett Conlon Published