La Samaritaine Department Store, Paris

Architects: Kazuyo Sejima, Ryue Nishizawa – SANAA
Text: Tamás Ulrich
Photos: Agence VUʼ

To celebrate the 150th anniversary of the opening of the famous department store of Paris named La Samaritaine, in 2020, a new outlook has been created. Designed in 1904 by Belgian architect Frantz Jourdain, the riveted steel-framed building features large glazed windows and ornamental decorations, all in Art Nouveau style. In 2005, the department store was closed and in 2009, the Japanese architectural firm Sanaa was commissioned to do the overall design of the new Samaritaine project, including the construction of a new wing on the side along rue Rivoli. Specialist technical design offices, restoration artists and laboratories were involved in the project. The completed complex, after an extraordinary building renovation process, both in terms of size and professional complexity, will present La Samaritaine as a modern “urban quarter” made complete with a department store, a five-star luxury hotel, a roof terrace, offices and apartments.

Leading architects: Kazuyo Sejima, Ryue Nishizawa – SANAA
Operations architect: SRA Architectes
Clients: Grands Magasins de La Samaritaine, LVMH Hotel Management, DFS
Hotel decoration and design: Peter Marino – OAL, Maison Edouard François
Retail interiors: Yabu Pushelberg, Agence de création Malherbe Paris, Studio Ciguë
Historical monument architect: Jean-François Lagneau – Lagneau Architectes
Social housing and creche: François Brugel Architectes Associés
Executive project management: Egis
General contractor: Vinci Construction France
Specialist contractors: Frener & Reifer, SMB-CCS, Viry, Socra, AOF, Atelier Bouvier