highlighted by million-dollar views of Hyde Park and
Sydney Harbour, which can be seen through the original
arched windows. Welcoming luxury footwear collections
from Louis Vuitton, Dior and Chanel for the first time,
the formerly underused Level 7 space has been
transformed into a naturally well-lit mecca that will
happily accommodate even the fussiest shoe aficionado.
This glamorous addition to the well-loved shopping
haven is the first of many exciting developments for David Jones Elizabeth Street,
with the whole project set to even the playing field between DJs and the world’s best
department stores. Next up? A champagne bar on the mezzanine above Level 7,
and later in 2019, the unveiling of the beauty and accessories floor on Level 1 as
well as new and improved womenswear floors across Levels 2, 3 and 4. VL
davidjones.comWalk
SHOP
How does a Sydney icon reinvigorate
itself for the NEXT GENERATION? For
David Jones, it starts from the feet up.
By Yeong Sassall
Photographed by Bowen AncoI
n a city that’s been dug up, redrawn and
redeveloped as often as Sydney has, there
are few landmarks that have survived to tell
their tale. Certainly, in the highly volatile
bricks-and-mortar retail market, there’s even
less longevity and certainty, which is why David
Jones’s celebration of 180 years of trade is such an
achievement. And with 91 of those years established
at the brand’s beloved Elizabeth Street address,
what better way to future-proof one if its most
iconic stores than by giving it a grand old facelift?
The international interdisciplinary design firm
Benoy was granted the mammoth task, and they
were acutely aware the job meant tinkering with
a living artefact. “David Jones Elizabeth Street is
an architectural and social icon of Sydney that holds
wonderful memories for countless Australians,” says
Benoy director Terence Seah. “Constructed around
1927, David Jones was an architectural and
engineering tour de force. Very modern with
state-of-the-art vertical transportation systems,
it was an extremely robust and well-constructed
building that befits one of the most forward-
thinking department stores in the world.”
Enhancing the customer experience while
retaining the spirit of the sprawling, multi-level
Sydney CBD store was Benoy’s chief concern,
and it began with the introduction of Level 7,
an entire floor dedicated to shoes, which was
unveiled in last October. “The new luxury
shoe world is the beginning of the David Jones
transformation,” says Seah. “Once the great
restaurant that hosted Queen Elizabeth and
Prince Phillip’s visit to Australia in 1954, we
sought to bring back the wow factor with a design
that emphasises the seven-metre high ceiling.”
Complete with brass-finished stainless steel
shelving, gold- and marble-accented display tables
and velvet armchairs, the new floor is furtherLevel 7, an entire floor
dedicated to luxury
shoes, is the first of
many glamorous new
additions to a
revamped David Jones
Elizabeth Street,
Sydney.this way
78 vogueliving.com.au
VLife