THE REBIRTH OF LA SAMARITAINE
La Samaritaine has for a long time been a Parisian Sleeping Beauty.
After having closed in 2005 after operating at a loss since the 1970s, it has finally reopened its doors.
The new owners, LVMH, welcomed its first visitors in June 2021, and today it offers shopping, restaurants and a boutique hotel that includes a penthouse suite with its own private swimming pool.
The department store was first known as Magasin 1 and was initially a small apparel shop. Because of its popularity, it continued to grow, and its owners Ernest Cognacq and Marie-Louise Jaÿ decided to expand it.
Gradually, it became a series of department store buildings, with a total of 90 different departments.
Architect Frantz Jourdain was originally hired to assist in the remodelling and expansion of the existing store building. It took five years to build and when it was done, the style of the building had already begun to appear slightly dated.
When the owner Cognacq requested for expansions of the department store, the city of Paris only allowed it with the stipulation that he followed a more current architectural style.
This is why today there are strong elements of Art Deco mixed in with the original building, which is more in the Art Nouveau-style.
La Samaritaine’s latest incarnation is created by Japanese architectural firm SANAA.
They maintained the famous stairs in the centre of the main department store, as well as the light court, which was made possible by a skeletal steel structure that allowed for a maximum square footage of glass windows, intentionally located at the centre of the building to bring in ample natural light. Additionally, the two domes of La Samaritaine create a sight line between the Seine and the left bank.
Why visit La Samaritaine? Paris is the city of department stores and there are options that have been around longer, are larger or more centrally located.
The reason to come here is that it is an experience different from the rest.
The newness of the interiors makes it a nice experience simply to walk around.
The best brands are represented, and the hotel – Cheval Blanc – is somewhat of a hotspot in Paris at the moment.
Don’t miss the Italian restaurant Langosteria or the cocktail bar Le Tout-Paris.
