Hermès first landed in Amsterdam in 2006 – its first location was on P.C. Hooftstraat, where many a luxury-shopping tourist know well to congregate in the Dutch capital.
The French house’s reopened space is just steps away from its predecessor, albeit, it’s a touch more magnificent: Hermès shot for the stars with its new location, moving into number 94 – also known as Crystal Houses because of the well-beloved MVRDV-designed glass-brick façade it boasts.
Parking my bike outside before the opening preview of the store, I couldn’t help but wonder if Hermès had somehow willed the grey day. Against the dreary backdrop, the colours breaking through the façade seemed impossibly resplendent, leaving a visual impact unparalleled by its neighbours. The interiors were completed by Paris-based interior architecture firm RDAI, who’s been responsible for all Hermès stores erected globally since 1976.
Inside the store, I ascended its pristine staircase with RDAI’s managing and artistic director Denis Montel and let my hands linger on the stair railings cloaked in buttery leather. ‘Is it the same that’s used for the handbags and the saddles?’ I asked, referring to the brand’s iconic leather goods. ‘Yes, it was done by Hermès – it’s one of the elegant signatures of the space, but it isn’t too obvious’ replied Montel. Pointing to the balusters, he said, ‘And here, if you look below, there is another Hermès code – it’s shaped as a horse bit.’
Sinking into leather chairs not yet sat in, Montel and I made ourselves comfortable upstairs in the fine jewellery section of the store and joked, ‘We’re the first clients.’ Then he began to tell me about his history with the French house, and the design of its Amsterdam space…
