29 Mai 2026 |
After more than a year of renovations, Hermès is finally back on the Berlin map. The French heritage maison officially opened the doors to the shiny new boutique on Kurfürstendamm 58 on May 21st. Reworked by Parisian architecture agency RDAI, the space has not just been fully refreshed but also expanded with distinct areas for the 16 hero product lines, or “Métiers”, such as the silk collection; footwear; perfume, beauty and jewellery; the living and equestrian collection; and men’s and womenswear.
The two-story building, connected by a beautiful lattice staircase (that may or may not become a preferred and frequently photographed spot for visitors and clients) additionally features exquisitely designed private salons and lush changing rooms. On the upper floor, a window-lined passageway overlooks the bright yellow atrium, offering a gallery-like look and feel. Drenched in various shades of yellow – from a deep ochre to light lemon sorbet –, the store harmoniously blends graphic patterns and organic textures. Hermès’ braided leather offcuts can be found all throughout the store, a visual reminder of and emphasis on the luxury house’s artisanal savoir faire alongside references to the equestrian heritage.
For the window installations, Hermès has collaborated with Berlin-based artist Zora Mann. The concept explores how the body becomes a vessel for travel, echoing the annual theme, “Venture beyond”. Mann’s drawings take on new proportions, fusing the house codes and Berlin’s cityscape, alongside selected artworks from the Émile Hermès Collection and the Hermès Collection of Contemporary Photographs.
Located in a 1999 building from the Gründerzeit, original mouldings on the ceiling offer a provincial touch and very intimate feel reminiscent of a grand private residence. “The idea is to have a space to really dig into the Hermès experience,” said Florian Craen, Executive Vice President Sales and Distribution during the opening. Craen also underlined that no two Hermès stores are ever alike, focussing on a personal and site-specific selection of materials, colours, custom furniture and artworks displayed in the boutiques. In the Berlin store for instance, a large piece by Berlin-based artist Kim Bartelt frames the upper private salon.
Indeed, stepping into the new boutique feels like entering a portal to the vast and majestic Hermès universe that has only been expanding since the house’s founding in 1837. With physical retail regaining relevance and importance, the Hermès store revamp doesn’t just seem like great timing, it is a perfect example of elevating the offline luxury shopping experience back to what it once promised: a place for true experience, encounter, exchange, and emotion.
The store opening was also accompanied by a lavish evening event on the Hermès Faubourg Express. In a tunnel under the Potsdamer Platz, selected guests – from press to VICs – were invited to board the most luxurious of trains and explore the different fantastical compartments including a desert-themed wagon where cactus-flavoured ice cream was served, a moody and lunar reed maze with appetisers floating on water, and a station that offered horseshoe-shaped pretzels, amongst other creative and very on-brand bites and drinks.
Text KELLY NIESEN
