Diverse architectural styles

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Diverse architectural styles



Architecturally the building cluster is eye-catching, standing out for its different design themes from existing Art Nouveau and Art Deco features and light-filled atriums, to Japanese architect firm Sanaa’s wavy-glass facade on the busy Rue de Rivoli.

Samaritaine has a relatively small retail footprint compared to existing city department store competitors like Printemps and Galleries Lafayette. The space has been carved out of a much bigger 650,000 square feet area because large parts were hived off to private housing and luxury accommodation.

The Cheval Blanc boutique hotel is part of the building complex, attesting further to the exclusivity of the new Samaritaine. It opened for bookings from today for stays starting in September. The limited number of rooms at 72, all of them overlooking the river, is not surprising. The smallest is a very big 480 square feet, with a starting price tag of €1,150 per night, and the largest is enormous at over 10,800 square feet. Prices for that one are on application. Add to that a range of star chefs supporting 12 restaurants and you can see how LVMH is positioning La Samaritaine. slot pg

DFS, more at home in Asia-Pacific, has had a trial-run in opening up a renovated luxury space in Europe. In 2016, the retailer established T Fondaco dei Tedeschi in Venice, Italy which became a magnet for cruise and other tourists, and a financial success according to de Boysson. Like several of the retailer’s locations, it is housed in a historical building that was artfully restored.