Hermès opens a new store inside the Harbour City shopping centre
On December 7, 2020, Hermès was delighted to open the doors of its inviting new home in Harbour City shopping centre, an expansive 610 m2 store nearly double the size of the former, which reaffirms the house's well-versed and cherished history with Hong Kong, since the first Hermès store opened there in 1975. A vibrant shopping and cultural destination, Harbour City overlooks Victoria Harbour with a captivating vista of the iconic Hong Kong skyline.
The distinctive floor plan and interior design create an exciting and imaginative retail experience in which to encounter all sixteen métiers and the spirit of savoir-faire and innovation at the heart of the house. The new store is set on the ground floor of the mall, and visitors arriving from Canton Road will enjoy the façade remodelled to dazzling effect with a roof of undulating aluminium tiles, like the scales of a dragon that vibrate with movement and light. Just below, the storefront entices with colour and luminosity as the alternating transparent, translucent and opaque surfaces of the windows offer glimpses of the vivid collections and objects within.
Customers arrive from the street through the main entrance into the lively display of women's silk collections; from here, the high ceilings and unique L-shaped layout afford a roaming and inviting perspective of the space. Designed by Parisian architecture agency RDAI, there is an enveloping feeling of warmth, further enhanced by the light-reflecting terrazzo floors and a welcoming palette that evolves throughout. The classical architectural codes of the house, such as the mineral mosaic tiles and Grecques moulded lighting used to frame each area, sit effortlessly with local raw materials, like bamboo, which is employed in myriad ways as a graphic leitmotif in the bespoke carpets and walls.
The women's universe, an open-plan, light-filled environment with a spacious shoe salon and VIP fitting rooms, sits to the right of the street entrance and is accessed by passing through the perfume, fashion jewellery, and the recently launched Hermès beauty métier. The beauty offering — a novel expression of the house's elegance, spirit and imagination — will also include the latest limited collection of Rouge Hermès lipsticks.
A long line of sight passes through the leather goods, collections for the home, which now include furniture, and the equestrian line, up terrazzo stairs to the men's universe to the second entrance to the store, accessible from inside the mall. This passage is artfully punctuated by boxes, some of which feature walls of carved bamboo, which establish a regular rhythm for the customer journey. These boxes are intimate spaces in which to encounter the house’s collections, similar to the watches and jewellery alcove, where the precious nature and workmanship of both métiers are highlighted.
Each universe flows freely into the next but is marked by a bespoke colour palette that coherently unites materials and furnishings to create a unique ambience. The women's universe is awash in a soft, feminine shade of old rose, while the men's universe is blanketed in pale green. The tobacco hues, which echo those of the façade and are a backdrop to the leather goods, home and equestrian collections, serve as a transitionary palette.
This new Hermès store invites a sense of curiosity and discovery, allowing local customers and visitors to take their time to explore the collections in a harmonious and warm tailor-made setting. It will continue to showcase the house’s creativity and innovative spirit, celebrated in the annual theme for 2020, “Innovation in the making”, and give voice to craftsmanship and exceptional materials.
