Norwegian family-owned watchmaker Urmaker Bjerke has opened Europe’s largest luxury watch house at Eger quarter in Promenaden, Oslo’s Fashion District.
Bjerke House, set over 2,965sq m across three floors, will be home to brands such as Patek Philippe, Cartier, OMEGA, Tudor, Panerai, IWC Schaffhausen, Blancpain, Longines, Hublot and Breitling. The space will also act as the headquarters of Urmaker Bjerke, with six different entrances for the store’s most well-known brands.
Urmaker Bjerke will be Eger quarter’s largest occupier. The wider redevelopment will see the arrival of standalone stores, a restaurant, a lifestyle concept store and high-quality office space. In line with the heightened demand for experiential shopping experiences, Bjerke House will feature a dedicated events space on its second floor, as well as in-store workshops and the first physical Bjerke Vintage & Pre-Owned concept store.
The store forms a key part of Promenaden Management’s extensive revamp of Oslo’s Eger shopping gallery, which was originally built in the 1850s. Promenaden Management, which is wholly owned by pan-European real estate investment manager MARK Capital Management, worked with Oslo city’s municipality as part of a meticulous five-year reconstruction project to create a modern luxury retail offering while paying homage to the site’s history.
Annette Lund, CEO, Promenaden Management, said: “The opening of Bjerke House represents another milestone for us as we continue to bolster Promenaden’s status as a world-renowned luxury shopping district. The store, as well as the wider Eger building in which it sits, has been carefully renovated to accommodate both the tastes of modern luxury shoppers as well as Oslo’s architectural and design heritage. In doing so, we were able to attract a world-class talent that brings with it the world’s leading watch manufacturers in Urmaker Bjerke, which has a historic attachment to the city having opened its first store in Oslo 101 years ago.”
