A Liberty Style Retail Renaissance

By Editorial Staff - 4 April 2022
Paolo Castelli Spa has participated in the project

La Samaritaine department store in the heart of Paris has finally reopened its doors after architects and designers from all over the world renovated it from top to bottom, recovering and enhancing a shopping destination where modernity meets history, offering a symbol of the French art de vivre that spans fashion, jewelry, accessories, fragrances and more.

Luxury retail takes centerstage at this iconic space on the Right Bank of the Seine, a mere stone’s throw from the Louvre Museum. The complex combines two buildings initially erected in the early 20^th century: the first is a Liberty-style building designed by Frantz Jourdain on the corner of Rue de la Monnaie and Quai du Louvre. Acquired by the LVMH Group in the early 2000s, the site shut down in 2005 for security-related reasons. The DFS Group managed and supervised the redevelopment.

Newly-reopened this year and operating under the name Samaritaine Paris Pont-Neuf, it offers 70,000 sq. m of space over seven floors: not just retail space, but 12 bars and restaurants, a spa, an art gallery, offices, social housing and even a nursery school.

The project combines bold, contemporary architectural solutions designed by Japanese firm SANAA, such as an undulating glass façade for the new Rue de Rivoli building and restoration work on historical elements – for example the Liberty façade with its wrought iron, mosaic signage and enameled lava stone panels. Inside, a massive glass roof over the central atrium initially built by Eiffel, the spectacular Peacock fresco running immediately below it, and an imposing staircase with oak steps, ceramics, gold leaf and wrought iron balustrades, have all been restored to their original splendor.

Canadian studio Yabu Pushelberg did the interior design for the Pont-Neuf building, choosing noble materials such as terrazzo, reminiscent of Parisian pebbles, and, inspired by the original decor, mellow colors like gray-blue.

La Samaritaine - © We Are Contents courtesy La Samaritane

Designed by French designer Hubert de Malherbe, the 3,200 sq. m basement houses Europe’s largest Beauty & Fragrance area. The concept for this floor, which connects the two buildings and extends all the way to Rue de Rivoli, is based on a combination of parquet and mosaic floors, and bronze, white and light-colored, wood-finished furniture.

Studio Ciguë conceived an avant-garde design for the interiors of the building on the Rue Rivoli-side, deploying a deconstructivist approach that takes in both raw and recycled materials.

Last but not least, designers Chloé Nègre, Karine Chahin and Virginie de Graveron from the Atelieramo collective studio designed the spaces for the Apartment, where visitors enjoy a personalized shopping experience, alongside two private salons dedicated to jewelry, all inspired by the heterogeneous style of Parisian apartments, with their blend of classic and contemporary furnishings.

La Samaritaine - © Matthieu Salvaing courtesy La Samaritane | Atelieramo designed the spaces for the Apartment, a 300 sq. m lounge area dedicated to VIP customer shopping, and two private salons for the jewelry store. These rooms combine contemporary custom furnishings with classic French furniture.

La Samaritaine - © We Are Contents courtesy La Samaritane | The historic, Liberty-style façade was restored, replacing portions that had deteriorated over time or been lost. With the exception of the mosaic sign of the department store’s name, the exterior decorations on Rue de la Monnaie and Rue de l’Arbre-Sec are all made from enameled lava stone.

La Samaritaine - © We Are Contents courtesy La Samaritane | The undulating, transparent modern elevation along Rue de Rivoli was designed by SANAA, a firm led by Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa. The façade’s 343 curved, screen-printed glass panels were designed as the outer shell of a triple-glazed layer, complying with thermal insulation and fire safety requirements.

La Samaritaine - © We Are Contents courtesy La Samaritane | The new glass façade is juxtaposed with the old one, creating a contrasting yet harmonious effect in an approach conceived to give the designers’ creative free rein without betraying the location’s original spirit; indeed, enhancing its hallmark features.

La Samaritaine - © Matthieu Salvaing courtesy La Samaritane | Listone Giordano wooden surfaces were used in the fashion, cosmetics and jewelry departments.

La Samaritaine - © We Are Contents courtesy La Samaritane | The Beauty & Fragrance layout was designed by contractor Paolo Castelli, who engineered, supplied and installed custom-made furniture designed by Malherbe Paris.

La Samaritaine - © We Are Contents courtesy La Samaritane | The Malherbe Paris studio used curved lines and fluid forms in its design for the dedicated Beauty & Fragrance space, which fills the department store’s entire basement. This layout was inspired by old maps of Paris, its spaces punctuated by new lightweight brass-finished structures and historic metal pillars.

La Samaritaine - © Matthieu Salvaing courtesy La Samaritane | Inspired by Parisian architecture like the Grand Palais exhibition hall, George Yabu and Glenn Pushelberg designed the interiors of the Pont-Neuf building’s above-ground levels using curvilinear metal and glass structures that bring together the building’s past.

La Samaritaine - © Matthieu Salvaing courtesy La Samaritane | La Samaritaine’s most iconic space is the completely-restored full-height central atrium, a space with zenithal lighting through a glass roof, featuring a monumental staircase that connects the building’s various floors.

La Samaritaine - © Stephane Martinelli courtesy La Samaritane

La Samaritaine - © Matthieu Salvaing courtesy La Samaritane | Ciguë designed the interiors for the three floors overlooking Rue de Rivoli, their concept taking Haussmann-style elements, breaking them down and reassembling them as a youthful design language for environments with a flexible layout.

La Samaritaine - © We Are Contents courtesy La Samaritane

Location: Paris, France
Clients: Grands Magasins de La Samaritaine Maison Ernest Cognacq (Groupe LVMH), DFS
Completion: 2021
Gross Floor Area: 20,000 m²
Architecture Project and Renovation: Sanaa
Heritage: Lagneau Architectes
Local Architect: SRA Architectes
Interior Design: Yabu Pushelberg, Malherbe Paris, Ciguë, Atelieramo
Construction Management: Egis
Main Contractor: Vinci Construction France
Interior Contractor Area Beauté: Paolo Castelli Spa

Photography courtesy La Samaritane

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