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Hermès Sydney has a sparkling new address. On Saturday, the Parisian house reopened its Sydney store at 155 King Street, inside the city’s landmark site, The Trust Building. The heritage-listed building was Sydney’s first pioneering skyscraper, which dates back to 1914, and is now home to the luxurious world of Hermès.
Set over a sprawling 800m2, the magnificent space presents the full offering of Hermès’ sixteen métiers. With both something borrowed and something blue, the original doorway at the intersection of King and Castlereagh Streets has been re-established as the main entrance, while the blue tones in the original marble recall the Pacific Ocean, and have inspired the wall palette, complementing the white-finished stucco beautifully.
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On the ground floor, its first métiers are revealed through jewellery and timepieces. These precious jewels in Hermès’ glittering crown are flanked by both the women’s and men’s silk collections, while in an intimate corner next to silk, sits a space dedicated to the brand’s extensive and exquisite leather universe.
At the heart of the store, however, is its star: a spectacular meandering staircase in marble and ash wood both brilliant and unique. Designed by the Parisian architecture agency RDAI, the extraordinary staircase was fashioned by steam and made by hand, and is arguably the pièce de résistance in the store’s interior. With its double revolution or helix and a half, it creates a pathway like no other to descend down to the lower ground floor. The wild balustrading of the wood used in this mighty structure recalls the impressive aerial roots of the great Australian Banyan tree and celebrates the spirit of the surrounding nature, an homage to the natural environment that helps define life in Sydney and which has been embraced fully by the French maison.
As guests begin their descent, their journey is met with a dazzling wonderland of sunshine, with a specially woven carpet projecting the rays of the Australian midday sun at the foot of the stairs, another ode to Australian life.
Facing the staircase, its most recent métier, Hermès Beauty, is showcased alongside a much-loved pillar, fragrance, as an expansive wall of perfumes is revealed. While below, the full depth and craftsmanship of the house is revealed: the lower ground home to the Hermès equestrian universe, as well as the women’s and men’s universes, including the ready-to-wear and shoe collections.
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For the first time in Australia, Hermès homeware and furniture pieces will also be displayed, together with the complete range of tableware and home collections. At the rear of the lower ground floor is a new element for Hermès stores, a six-seater table where guests can enjoy a moment of pause during their discovery of the store, enjoy a coffee and, perhaps most importantly, recharge their devices.
Up above in the Hermès heavens, the overlooking mezzanine proves a versatile area that can be transformed to host in-store exhibitions. While special objects have also been developed for the Sydney store, including a Birkin bag with the French artist AM.Cassandre’s (1901-1968) Perspective design, embossed in gold leaf; a limited edition silk scarf; and, as a nod to the outdoor lifestyle of Sydney, a surfboard and skateboard with this pattern on their decks.
A rich interpretation of Hermès savoir-faire and the wonder of Australia’s unique landscape, the store respects the building and the city’s skyscraper heritage, while recasting it in a way which enhances the harmony between the classic and the modern.
An immersive retail experience, the new Hermès Sydney is both a feat of architectural triumph and your passport to the exceptional world of Hermès.
