Award winning architect Amanda Levete and her London based studio AL_A have just announced they will be redesigning one of Paris's iconic department stores; Galeries Lafayette is one of the French capital's retail landmarks.
The architects have been selected, following a competition among leading international firms, to work on the 40,000 sq m 'Cupola' building of Galerie Lafayette's flagship store on Boulevard Haussman. Founded in Paris in 1893 by Théophile Bader and Alphonse Kahn, the store moved into its current premises in 1912. It glass dome and atrium were famous, becoming a synonym for luxury retail.
The renovation project aims to place architecture at its heart, transforming the existing historical building into a 'new shopping experience'. AL_A was selected for its bold design that blends 'tradition and modernity.' Of course Levete is no stranger to cutting edge retail design, her portfolio including the Selfridges store in Birmingham.
'This store is an institution that has a special place in the life and identity of the city of Paris,' says Levete. 'Our commission is a fantastic opportunity to build on tradition to make a living contribution to the future of Galeries Lafayette and the cultural life of Paris. The exquisite craftsmanship of the original building and its location in the heart of Haussmann's city are both elements we seek to celebrate as we move forward.'
The world famous store on Boulevard Haussmann is the second most visited tourist attraction in Paris, after the Eiffel Tower.
Works are expected to start on site in 2017.
Levete is no stranger to cutting edge retail design; her portfolio includes the futuristic Selfridges store in Birmingham
INFORMATION
For more information on AL_A visit the website
-
‘I wanted to create a sanctuary’ – discover a nature-conscious take on Balinese architectureUmah Tsuki by Colvin Haven is an idyllic Balinese family home rooted in the island's crafts culture
-
‘Concrete Dreams’: rethinking Newcastle’s brutalist pastA new project and exhibition at the Farrell Centre in Newcastle revisits the radical urban ideas that changed Tyneside in the 1960s and 1970s
-
Mexican designers show their metal at Gallery Collectional, Dubai‘Unearthing’ at Dubai’s Gallery Collectional sees Ewe Studio designers Manu Bañó and Héctor Esrawe celebrate Mexican craftsmanship with contemporary forms
-
Architecture, sculpture and materials: female Lithuanian artists are celebrated in NîmesThe Carré d'Art in Nîmes, France, spotlights the work of Aleksandra Kasuba and Marija Olšauskaitė, as part of a nationwide celebration of Lithuanian culture
-
‘Who has not dreamed of seeing what the eye cannot grasp?’: Rencontres d’Arles comes to the south of FranceLes Rencontres d’Arles 2024 presents over 40 exhibitions and nearly 200 artists, and includes the latest iteration of the BMW Art Makers programme
-
Van Gogh Foundation celebrates ten years with a shape-shifting drone display and The Starry NightThe Van Gogh Foundation presents ‘Van Gogh and the Stars’, anchored by La Nuit Etoilée, which explores representations of the night sky, and the 19th-century fascination with the cosmos
-
Marisa Merz’s unseen works at LaM, Lille, have a uniquely feminine spiritMarisa Merz’s retrospective at LaM, Lille, is a rare showcase of her work, pursuing life’s most fragile, transient details
-
Step into Francesca Woodman and Julia Margaret Cameron's dreamy photographs in London'Portraits to Dream In' is currently on show at London's National Portrait Gallery
-
Damien Hirst takes over Château La CosteDamien Hirst’s ‘The Light That Shines’ at Château La Coste includes new and existing work, and takes over the entire 500-acre estate in Provence
-
Tia-Thuy Nguyen encases Chateau La Coste oak tree in tonne of stainless steel stripsTia-Thuy Nguyen’s ‘Flower of Life’ lives in the grounds of sculpture park and organic winery Château La Coste in France
-
Paris art exhibitions: a guide to exhibitions this weekendAs Emily in Paris fever puts the city of love at the centre of the cultural map, stay-up-to-date with our guide to the best Paris art exhibitions
