Galeries Lafayette: architects' studio AL_A to transform the Hausmann store in Paris

By

Matthieu Guinebault

Published
Mar 21, 2016

British architects' studio AL_A will take the lead in the main building's renovation at the Galeries Lafayette department store in Boulevard Haussmann, Paris, where work on the 40,000 m² premises will start in early 2017.

AL_A has notably worked on the transformation of the Selfridges branch in Birmingham and is currently in charge of the extension work at London's Victoria & Albert Museum. With the Galeries Lafayette, the challenge will consist of rethinking the Parisian department store's 'Coupole' (dome) building using a new approach combining "tradition and modernity". The building, according to the department store's General Manager Nicolas Houzé, embodies "the Galeries Lafayette's spirit."

"The store is an institution which holds a special place in Paris' identity as a city," noted for her part the of Director of AL_A, Amanda Levete. "We are very proud for having been chosen to offer our contribution to the building's transformation, capitalising on its heritage. The premises' original architecture and their exceptional location at the heart of the city are both assets which we will try to sublimate in our project."

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The Galeries Lafayette group operates a network of 280 stores, with the retail brands Galeries Lafayette, BHV Marais, Louis Pion, Royal Quartz and Didier Guerin. The company has a staff of 15,000 and claims daily store visits by one million customers, generating sales worth €3.8 billion.