Blog

The object of our today’s episode is La Samaritaine, historically one of the largest department stores of the French capital located in its first arrondissement.

Inaugurated in 1869 as a small appaurel shop, it has progressively expanded to what became a series of department store buildings.

The complex has been listed since 1990 as a monument historique by the French Ministry of Culture.

However, La Samaritaine, which had been operating at a loss since the 1970s, was closed in 2005. A luxury-goods conglomerate LVMH bought the complex to undertake its large reconstruction and modernisation. For this purpose, it selected the Japanese architectural bureau SANAA.

After seven years of renovation a mixed-use complex, which massively expanded to the neighbouring district was (re)open. New Samaritaine  features shops, boutique hotel, fine restaurant, brewery, cafes, offices, and social housing.