The Odyssey Continues For Hermès In Istanbul With The Extension Of Its Istinye Park Store

On 13^th October 2021, Hermès unveiled an expanded and renovated store in the Istinye Park mall, located in the Sariyer district of Istanbul. Almost doubling the floor space, it offers customers an enhanced immersion into the world of Hermès’ métiers.

Istanbul’s Istinye neighbourhood is known for traditional waterfront mansions dating back to the Ottoman Empire, the rich Belgrade forest spreading out up the mountains like a verdant cloak, and a sparkling view of the Marmara Sea. It is the latter that especially inspired the expansion and renovation of Hermès’ Istinye Park store.

An inland sea that runs along the entire city of Istanbul, the Marmara’s dappled light is captured by the Parisian architecture agency RDAI’s made-to-measure façade, crafted out of glazed terracotta baguettes. Each impressively high tile of differing angular dimension was individually fired with a natural deep blue enamel, creating a variation in shades visible throughout the day. The daylight is reflected into the store through ample windows that bathe the interior in natural light, bouncing off pale and polished Trani stone floors with a deep navy Mediterranean-style mosaic.

Customers are first greeted by the area dedicated to the colourful men and women’s silk collections, fashion accessories, perfume and, for the first time in this store, Hermès’ newest métier, beauty. Pale blue lime plaster walls evoke the wide, open sky, rendered in perfect softness. Further to one side, enclosed in its own cocoon, is a secluded new VIP lounge carpeted in a handcrafted, abstract aquatic motif custom made by local artisans.

Deeper within the store is a spacious area dedicated to collections for the home, including textiles and tableware. It is flanked on one side by a wide array of leather goods, and on the other, jewellery and watches. Further still into the space, customers can discover voluminous areas for the men and women’s universes, including ready-to-wear and shoes, which are displayed on a wide ceramic table that was made using the same enamelling technique as the store’s façade. The same aquatic carpet covers the entire back third of the store, bringing comfort, tranquillity and intimacy. Displays along the central axis presenting extended offerings from all the métiers are moulded from soft plaster into sinuous shapes. Above them, recessed lighting is carefully placed to provide luminosity, allowing colours and textures to appear as they do in natural daylight. Walls are lined in brushed oak veneer to echo driftwood, or hand-painted in deep Mediterranean blue in a pattern reminiscent of traditional Bosphorus stucco work.

A significant number of the artworks displayed in the store come from the Émile Hermès Collection in Paris, including vintage catalogue images, oil paintings and a striking pair of Ottoman stirrups. Additionally, there are original commissioned pieces by contemporary artists like Antoine Carbonne, Sanae Nicolas and Isabelle Barthel, reflecting Hermès’ ongoing engagement in the world of contemporary art.

About Hermès

In its expansion, Hermès’ Istinye Park store continues to incarnate values that the house holds dear: intelligent design ennobled by the finest craftsmanship and a strong commitment to local clients.
Since 1837, Hermès has remained faithful to its artisan model and its humanist values. The freedom to create, the constant search for beautiful materials, the transmission of savoir-faire of excellence, and the aesthetic of functionality all forge the singularity of Hermès, a house of objects created to last. An independent, family owned company, Hermès is dedicated to keeping the majority of its production in France through its 51 workshops and production sites and to developing its network more than 300 stores in 45 countries. The group employs almost 17,000 people worldwide, including nearly 10,600 in France, among whom more than 5,600 are craftsmen*. Axel Dumas, a sixth-generation family member, has been Hermès CEO since 2013.

Founded in 2008, the Fondation d’entreprise Hermès supports projects in the areas of artistic creation, training and the transmission of savoir-faire, biodiversity, and the preservation of the environment.

* As of 30 June 2021