Step inside a phoenix-inspired Hermès store where fantasy, craftsmanship and Chinese cosmology converge in a richly layered retail experience.
Designed by Paris-based architecture studio RDAI, Hermès’ newly renovated store at Elements brings a fresh spatial narrative to Kowloon’s luxury hub. First launched in 2009, the expanded boutique now draws on Chinese cosmology and the five elements, translating them into a richly layered retail experience.
The façade sets the scene: feather-shaped ceramic tiles ripple across the exterior, echoing the fiery plumage of a phoenix. In the display windows, pastel pink horses leap across oversized books pictured with fantastical landscapes by French illustrator Claire Detallante—playful, surreal, and unmistakably Hermès.
Step inside and the atmosphere shifts to warmth and tactility. Signature ex-libris motifs and Grecques lighting frame the entrance, while Faubourg mosaic flooring flows beneath your feet, transitioning from earthy, woody tones to cooler, aquatic hues. The gradient subtly guides visitors through the house’s sixteen métiers, from silk and home collections to a more intimate watches and jewellery space at the rear, where a tortoiseshell-effect ceiling meets deep blue walls.
The store unfolds in contrasting palettes. On the right, blush pink silks and lacquered wood anchor the perfume, beauty and leather goods areas, leading into women’s ready-to-wear.
To the left, pale blue stucco walls meet bold, flame-toned trompe-l’oeil carpets in the men’s section, adding energy without losing restraint.
Artworks from the Émile Hermès collection and the Hermès Collection of Contemporary Photographs add depth: Aline Honoré’s vibrant Plumes en fête silk carré, Luciano Perna’s stark Monstera Leaf II, and Denis Polge’s equestrian work Cheval subtly reference the house’s heritage.
Bright, detailed and quietly theatrical, the reimagined store offers a considered way to experience Hermès—where craftsmanship, storytelling and spatial design move in sync.
Photo courtesy of Samantha Sin
