Well, I can hardly blame them given the current weather situation. June 5th and it is pouring with a temperature of 13°C. Roland Garros has been rained out today so I invited a new friend to uncover the latest LVMH project: the relaunch of Paris' iconic Le Samaritaine.
1870 marked the birth of a legend. Ernest Cognacq and his wife opened their first shop at the corner of Rue du Pont Neuf and Rue de la Monnaie. Ably supported by his wife Marie-Louis Jaÿ, formerly the first female sales assistant at Bon Marché, Ernest Cognacq is the tireless and tenacious creator of the Samaritaine “empire”. As early as 1883, business grows, comprising several adjoining buildings which were gradually converted into retail space as they were purchased.
While some people may think that the La Samaritaine department store is still open, it actually closed in 2005 on the orders of the Préfecture de Police, citing fire safety reasons. The entire project stalled in 2013 due to an appeal against the two building permits that had been submitted in 2011.
In 2015 construction started, and is estimated to last until 2020.
A much-loved destination for Parisians for over a century, today La Samaritaine is being reinvented and brought up to date as a contemporary lifestyle destination, combining the modernity of curving glass façade with the heritage of the completely renovated riverside listed building.
With its unique history, eclectic architecture and iconic position on the banks of the Seine, La Samaritan will feature a department store, a palace hotel, 96 social housing units, an 80-place creche and lots of office space...
... and I can't wait to discover it all next year after the grand opening... but in the meantime just let me dash off to Madrid for the weekend in search of some sun!
Getting a good look from above at La Samaritaine under reconstruction on a very rainy day.
The one hour tour allowed us to look under the hood thanks to some fascinating mock-ups.
5-star hotel, department store and office building all in a row. At the centre of the site is an art nouveau building, topped with an impressive glass roof, which was completed by Frantz Jourdain in the early 1900s.
Love the little detail in the office building mock-up.
A beautiful model of the neighbourhood architectural project brought to life with a 3D printer. Stretching from the Rue de Rivoli to the Pont-Neuf, three linked courtyards, each generously lit by natural daylight via glass roofs, will line the promenade in a unique setting – a mix of heritage and contemporary creation.
Half an hour later we were accompanied around the block to take a look at the "real thing". To the left the future palace hotel, an art deco extension realised by Henri Sausage in 1928. To the right the department store.
Frescoes, friezes, handrails, enamelled tiles, crests, doors, wooden window frames – every separate piece has been taken down and stored in workshops outside Paris for restoration.
When old meets new... and the importance of calculations!
The most eye-catching addition to the site is a rippling glass façade - that bookends "La Samaritaine" restoration - led by Japanese firm SANAA.
No comments:
Post a Comment