Architectural gems: the 5 prettiest H&M stores
Old palaces, vibrant stucco ceilings and grand glass domes — we love breathing new life into architectural treasures. Get a glimpse of five stunning H&M stores we simply can’t get enough of.
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA
Planning a trip to Melbourne any time soon? If you are a lover of both fashion and extravagant architecture, make sure to pay this place a visit. This former General Post Office is now the stunning location for the first H&M outlet in Australia, opened in 2014. Here, 5,000 square meters of fashion are spread over three light and spacious floors.
The striking Victorian architecture provides a magnificent milieu, famous for its columns, clock tower and the grandeur of the postal hall. Here, you can really feel the wings of history — the design speaks of the gold rush and times of economic boom. The building’s alluring features include checked stone flooring, arched doorways and elaborately ornamented staircases.
Melbourne’s GPO is often used as a point of reference for the distance from the city centre: hence the compass rose on the ceiling of the H&M men’s department.
MARSEILLE, FRANCE
Marseille is the second largest city in France, known for its massive commercial port, a myriad of museums and theatres, the vibrant food- and culture scene, and for being the undisputed capital of French rap. Here, you’ll find the beautiful H&M flagship store right on the main high street, located in what used to be a bank office. The spectacular arched entrance leads through to the expansive interior, with the sumptuous dècor of this historical building providing a remarkable backdrop to four floors of fashion.
Connected by escalators, elevators and staircases, the 3,300 square metres of retail space is characterised by the light well in the centre of the store, leading up to an exquisite stained-glass roof that allows the light to shine in and bring life to this remarkable space.
THE HAGUE, THE NETHERLANDS
Can you think of a better place for an H&M flagship store than this gorgeous building? Well, at least we can’t!
It really doesn’t get more elegant than this: The historical Maison de Bonneterie were once a high-end department store, first opened in 1913. The impressive building features a round light well, crowned by a spectacular glass dome. The artistically lit interiors was originally designed to imitate the Louvre in Paris, and are characterised by their striking wooden staircases.
Now, the building is home to one of the largest and undoubtedly most beautiful H&M stores in the Netherlands. The space is now filled with some 4,000 square metres of the latest fashion, spread throughout six uniquely designed floors. With every H&M concept represented here, the store has most certainly breathed new life into a grand old edifice.
NOVI SAD, SERBIA
In the city of Novi Stad, by the River Danube in northern Serbia lies a spectacular palace, once the home to the prominent Dundjerski merchant family during the Austro-Hungarian empire.
The palace, drawn in 1853 by the renowned architect Joseph Wild, is a breathtakingly beautiful three-storey building. But what’s truly remarkable in terms of architecture is the merging of old and new in a beautiful union. Having undergone intense renovation work to fit the tastes of the modern fashionista, with its magnificent facade, painted stucco ceilings and beautiful tile floors, the building has also retained its historical splendour.
NEW YORK CITY, UNITED STATES
Heading to The Big Apple anytime soon? Or, do you even have the joy of living there? If so, why not stop by the gorgeous Fifth Avenue flagship store. When plans were afoot for a new store to be established on one of the world’s most elegant shopping streets, H&M’s vision was for it to be the best flagship store ever. Now we’re happy to state that not only has that vision been realised, it has in fact been exceeded.
Located in what used to be a bank on the corner of 48th Street, the store invites shoppers into a modern fashion paradise through a four-story marble-clad entrance.
Besides its bright, spacious, upscale interiors and an extensive range of products, it offers luxury treats such as personal shopping, a concierge service and a shoe lounge.
What’s not to love?