Make has designed a spectacular new entrance hall for Harrods’ flagship store in Knightsbridge. The existing hall, located at Hans Crescent, was constructed in 1939 and until recently housed a tired series of escalators installed some 30 years ago. We’ve reconfigured the space to create a stunning arrival experience for today’s customers – one that better reflects the elegance of the Harrods brand and the historic grandeur of its Grade II*-listed building.
Central to our complex refurbishment was the reconfiguration of the existing landings and subsequent installation of 16 sets of double escalators, all clad in nickel bronze. This has opened up the view from the lower ground to the fifth floor for the first time, and allows customers to move directly into the retail areas at each level. We’ve also added high-definition visual merchandising screens at each retail entrance, restored the currently covered-up 1930s windows and created a new glass roof dome to flood the hall with natural light.
With our additions, all carefully crafted in consultation with English Heritage, the Hans Crescent entrance is a new point of focus for Harrods – a bright, sophisticated space that encompasses the brand’s refined aesthetic and rich history as London’s premier department store.
Lightwells in the reconfigured escalator hall allow views from ground floor all the way to the roof. Hans Crescent is the only escalator hall in Harrods with these views.
The roof dome is made of bespoke double-curved fritted glass, and features a polished stainless steel spirograph and a clear oculus at its pinnacle.
Building this future heritage has allowed us to work with many craftspeople and artisans in and around the capital, from intricate fibrous plasterers in Sunbury-on-Thames to fluted glass experts in Croydon and glass dome specialists in Iver.
Transitional space between the entrance hall and Cosmetics Hall, with marble arches, uplit glass-reinforced plaster domes and restored 1930s wall sconces.
Cantilevered escalator mezzanine between the ground and first floor.
