History

Originally the building was owned by the international fashion house Hirsch & Co, from whom the building 'inherited' its present name. Here the upper-class women came to buy their made-to-measure costumes. The building was built in 1909 to a design by the architects A.J. Jacot and J. Snuijff. The completion of the building with the copper dome and a total height of 38 metres took two years. In that period of time it was the highest retail premises ever built in The Netherlands, yet even now the building still dominates the Leidsepein. When the opening in 1912 took place the building was severely criticized. Critics thought the architects had merely copied the London department store Selfridges. In later years the building remained almost unaltered. On the inside the building has been adjusted entirely to meet modern business requirements. Chandeliers replaced by modern halogen lamps and boudoirs by austerely composed office and conference spaces. However, the atmosphere that the building breathes, outside and inside, remained exactly as it was: aristocratic and distinguished.