In Paris, the magnificent department store La Samaritaine has reopened after 16 years

Paris – Today, after 16 years out of service, one of the most famous department stores has reopened in the center of Paris: La Samaritaine. The renovation and repairs have transformed the historic building from the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries into a temple of luxury, targeting mainly tourists, reported the AFP agency.

"There is French art of living here," declared French President Emmanuel Macron a few days before the opening. La Samaritaine used to be the most famous and largest department store in Paris, where customers could choose from a huge selection of goods ranging from flowers, swimwear, and sweets to hats. Its doors closed in 2005 because the historic building did not meet safety regulations.

"Before, it was amazing, there was everything, seriously everything: hardware, white goods, haberdashery... My mother and I used to come here all the time; you could find things like doorknobs," recalls 71-year-old Jocelyne Gaillot, who came to see the reopened building with her sister. "We're happy, we won't buy anything, but we came to have a look," she adds.

La Samaritaine now has a new look: on a shopping area of 20,000 square meters, there are luxury stores of 600 fashion, gastronomy, and lifestyle brands. The department store on the right bank of the Seine, within sight of the Louvre museum, features four restaurants, including one for the most discerning diners led by Michelin star chef Arnaud Donckele. There are also plans for a luxury hotel with 72 rooms overlooking the Parisian river, which will open on September 7. "It’s a rebirth. I started when I was 21 after coming from my Kabylie (an Algerian region – note by ČTK)," recalls 53-year-old Mourad Khati, one of the original employees of the department store. "Back then it was more popular; today it’s luxurious," he added.

La Samaritaine also includes daycare facilities and 97 social apartments. A total of about 3,000 employees are taking care of it, including a few who, like Khati, worked there before its closure. The famous Art Deco building has been complemented by a 100-meter-long moving walkway that connects it to the parking lot. The renovation includes a modern wavy glass exterior by the Japanese architectural firm SANNA. The luxury goods manufacturer and building owner LVMH spent 750 million euros (19 billion CZK) on the renovation.

"It’s magnificent, the details on the staircase, the construction. It’s amazing that they preserved the original elements," said 29-year-old Dutch tourist who found out about the reopening by chance.