Galeries Lafayette set for redevelopment

Parisian department store Galeries Lafayette has announced that it will be working with British architecture studio AL_A to transform the ‘Cupola’ building of its flagship located on Boulevard Haussmann in Paris.

The redevelopment is part of the company’s strategy to build the ‘department store of the 21st century,’ with the aim of offering consumers a new shopping experience, and the remodelling of the 430,500 square foot store will start in early 2017.

AL_A, founded by Amanda Levete, has recently worked on projects for the Victoria and Albert Museum, as well as the Selfridges store in Birmingham, were chosen for its “bold proposal and intuitive conceptual approach” that will “create a visionary metamorphosis of the department store’s main building, relying on tradition and modernity,” a press statement from Galeries Lafayette said.

Nicolas Houzé, chief executive officer of Galeries Lafayette and Bhv Marais said: “We are delighted to start this collaboration with Amanda Levete and her team to conduct the reinvention of this iconic Cupola building, which is also the soul of the Galeries Lafayette brand. Amanda has demonstrated her talent for radical thinking and reimagining built heritage, and I am confident that her innovative vision will serve our ambition to offer to our clients the department store of the 21st century.”

Amanda Levete, director of AL_A, added: “This store is an institution that has a special place in the life and identity of the city of Paris. 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.”

Image: Galeries Lafayette