Hermès is opening a massive new flagship in New York City this fall.
On Thursday, the French maison announced it will start welcoming customers to a 20,250-square-foot flagship store on October 3. The Upper East Side destination at 706 Madison Avenue is a fusion of three existing buildings that have been adjoined by Parisian architecture firm RDAI, led by award-winning architect Denis Montel. The structure, which will offer both men’s and women’s clothing and accessories, furniture and homewares, was designed as a union of “New York dynamism and Parisian elegance,” according to the brand.
The central structure of the boutique is a 1921 Federalist building that until recently served as an outpost of the Bank of New York. It anchors the southwest corner of the block and connects to two townhouses, one on Madison Avenue and another on 63rd Street, forming an L shape.
You’ll have access to the flagship via two Madison Avenue entrances that each open onto tile floors decorated in the house’s signature mosaic. The coffered ceiling recalls the bank’s original design, and numerous details, such as the staircases brass balustrade, have been retained. Inside the townhouse side’s entrance, a small Hansom cab from the 1830s—a nod to both the brand’s equestrian heritage and NYC taxis—similarly brings a historic touch to the modern interior.
All of the building’s interiors are inspired by New York’s Art Deco past and nod to Manhattan’s well-known skyscrapers. The space unfolds into a series of intimate spaces, each featuring carefully selected materials that recall the brand’s wares: leather, various wood finishes, handcrafted wallpaper, straw marquetry and stucco. As Montel, the architect, says, “This project was almost like designing five stores into one… there are many stories, but they are linked together. You go from one surprise to another.”
The ground level, on one side, houses salons for jewelry, silk scarves, perfume and beauty items. The other side is dedicated to men’s leather-goods, silk accessories, equestrian accoutrements and also houses a coffee bar. The bank’s original staircase leads to the second-floor home furnishings and men’s department, which also includes a private lounge for commissioning custom orders such as made-to-measure suits and shirts. One floor above, the women’s department draws you in with curved walls, a champagne bar and an opulent watch and jewelry space that’s organized into alcoves for privacy. The fourth floor showcases the brand’s most coveted designs—women’s handbags—as well as a full bar, flanked by a rooftop terrace, offering a serene oasis from the city’s hubbub just several flights below. A fifth floor space, which isn’t open to the public, houses an atelier where five craftspeople from the brand’s various métiers will be on-hand to alter, repair and care for one’s purchases.
The store is Hermès’s first to boast a dedicated butler service, ensuring that ordering a cappuccino or flute of brut cuvée is effortless. The hospitable charm is furthered by numerous elegantly-appointed lounging areas that invite one to kick back and stay awhile. One final detail that will beckon you to stay a little longer is the art, culled from the Hermès family’s collection of equine-themed works. Highlights include a painting by French artist Antoine Carbonne and drawings by Rosa Bonheur, who’s being celebrated with a retrospective at Paris’s Musée d’Orsay later this fall.
A unique iteration of the “American Quilts” scarf has been designed, along with other exclusive items including several Kelly handbags, a Bolide bag, two watches, Hermès’ H08 Madison and Arceau Madison watches, a jukebox and a bicycle. Brooklyn-based artist Mike Perry also created a joyful window display for the store opening, as well as temporary stickers that adorned the windows through the site’s construction phase.
You can check out the welcoming Hermès flagship store at 706 Madison Avenue from October 3.
Click here for more images of the space.
