After seven years of restoration, La Samaritaine, a historic Art Deco and Art Nouveau landmark in Paris, has finally opened to the public with a 20,000 square meters retail space, 15,000 square meters of office space, restaurants, and even 96 units of social housing. The five-star hotel, the 72-room Cheval Blanc Paris, designed by Peter Marino, hosts 26 rooms, 46 suites, four restaurants and a Dior spa sets to open Sept. 7, with prices starting at 1,150 euros a night. A wavy contemporary facade designed by the Japanese architectural firm SANAA surrounds the building.
La Samaritaine contrasts the uniform Haussmannian buildings typical of central Paris, closed in 2005 due to safety concerns after falling into disrepair. Seeking to bring the storied retail destination out of hibernation, the French luxury conglomerate LVMH partnered with luxury retailer DFS to spearhead a painstaking $894 million refurbishment that ushers the department store into the future while nodding to old-world Parisian glamour.
Although I am convinced that Paris is ALWAYS a good idea, this historic reopening, we’ve all been waiting for, is reason enough to book that Thallys and go check for yourself.
