Hermès Unveils New Store in Doha’s Place Vendôme Mall
Hermès has moved to Place Vendôme — the luxury shopping destination in the Qatari capital Doha.
After 13 years at The Pearl, the French luxury house has found a new home on the ground floor of this new shopping destination, which opened last April in the northern Lusail district that is also home to one of the stadiums where matches of the 2022 FIFA World Cup will be held.
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At 6,500 square feet, the Place Vendôme unit is more than double the size of its 2,500-square-foot predecessor and has been designed by Parisian architectural practice RDAI, which drew inspiration from the parallels between local landscape and artisanal crafts.
Its facade nods to wind-carved stone formations found in the north of Qatar, while the undulating lines of the ceilings evoke sand dunes in a nearby inland sea. The succession of salons and spaces are delineated by the use of hand-laid inserts inspired by rock carvings found in the northeastern Al-Jassasiya site.
The store also makes ample use of double-height windows that bring natural light into its spaces, while a private exterior garden is host to a life-sized blue horse sculpture by French artisan Assan Smati.
Other artworks dotted throughout the store include items drawn from the Emile Hermès Collection and repurposed works created by the late Tunisian designer Leila Menchari, who designed memorable tableaux for the house’s windows from 1978 to 2013.
On offer will be the house’s 16 métiers: its silk, equestrian products, women’s and men’s ready-to-wear, home goods, watches, jewelry, and beauty. VIP salons are attached to each department and will offer bespoke services.
To mark the opening American artist duo Chiaozza, composed of Adam Frezza and Terri Chiao, was commissioned to create a surrealist painted sculptural jungle for the windows, while exclusive objects include a made-to-measure foosball table and a burgundy-and-white soccer ball.
Including this new location in Qatar, Hermès currently has six stores in the Middle East, with three in the United Arab Emirates, one in Kuwait, and another in Bahrain. Two additional stores, dedicated to its perfume business are located in Saudi Arabia and Dubai’s Mall of the Emirates.
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