Refurbishment of fine watches and jewellery department to feature Europe鈥檚 first curved escalators

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The scheme鈥檚 proposed curved escalators would be Europe鈥檚 first

Make is behind plans for a new fine watches and jewellery department at Harrods which will include Europe鈥檚 first curved escalators.

The practice, which has a longstanding relationship with the Knightsbridge department store, has submitted a planning application to the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea to remodel three levels of the grade II*-listed building.

Harrods said the refurbishment aimed to create a 鈥減restigious鈥� set of new spaces with an 鈥渋mpressive sense of arrival鈥� which emulates the area鈥檚 original Edwardian sales rooms.

The scheme, which will span the basement, lower ground and ground floor levels of the Hans Road side of the building, will reinstate a series of double-height halls in efforts to return the spaces to their historic appearance as seen in archive photographs.

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The plans aim to return the department to its original Edwardian character

It will also include a new escalator hall featuring four bespoke curved escalators, which are only manufactured by Mitsubishi with only a handful of the custom-designed systems installed in the US and the Far East so far.

Harrods, which installed England鈥檚 first 鈥渕oving staircase鈥� in 1898, said the proposed new escalators aim to be 鈥渞eminiscent of the sweeping staircases鈥� built in its early years.

It said the feature would create a 鈥済rand and luxurious retail experience - a feature to spike people鈥檚 interest and draw them into the heart of the new fine watches and fine jewellery department鈥�.

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The proposals include a series of reinstated double-height spaces

The store said it had decided to undergo the refurbishment after surveying rivals and concluding it was 鈥渃lear鈥� that its watches and jewellery departments 鈥渞equire change to remain relevant in the global hard luxury market鈥�.

The project team includes Emmaus as cost consultant and project manager, Carter Jonas on planning, Hillary Bell as conservation architect, WSP as structural engineer and Dowling Blunt on MEP.

Make has been working with Harrods since at least 2016, when it submitted plans for a new entrance hall featuring custom-designed escalators.

The store is known for its dramatic escalator halls, including a lavish Egyptian-themed escalator hall designed by William Mitchell which was commissioned by Harrods鈥� then owner, Egyptian-born Mohammed Al Fayed.

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