Department stores are part of the iconic places symbolizing the Parisian way of life. Their universe survived the Paris from the Belle Epoque, the roaring twenties, the 30-year post-war boom, as well as the darkest hours in history such as the First World War and the Second World War.
Still today, department stores are temples of fashion still crowded! Galeries Lafayette, Printemps Haussmann and even Bon Marché, these iconic places devoted to shopping also feature amazing architecture. And their history is just as fascinating.
The first department store in Paris
The first department store in Paris remains the only one on the Left Bank: it’s the Bon Marché. It was created in 1838, and the building we know today was built in 1872.
Nicknamed “the cathedral of modern trade” by Emile Zola – who was inspired by it for his famous novel “The Ladies’ Delight”, the Bon Marché was a milestone in the way of selling and consuming. The first department store to show the way to more temples of shopping. As of today, it’s one of the four main department stores still open in Paris, the three others being Galeries Lafayette, Printemps Haussmann and Bazar de l’Hôtel de Ville (BHV).
Two cupolas that had to leave
Moving on to department stores Haussmann neighborhood side, Galeries Lafayette and Printemps Haussmann stand out with their splendid cupolas. And yet, at some point in their history, these beautiful and colorful cupolas had to be taken away from the eyes of Parisians. During WWII, these two department stores had each removed the stained-glass windows creating the cupolas because of the bombing risk.
And their return wasn’t easy! At the end of the war, the stained-glass windows of the Galeries Lafayette cupola inspired by Byzantium had to be put back up together. Even though stored and numbered, some pieces haven’t been found back and replaced by white glass. Original stained-glass windows displayed a more colorful result.
And moving on to Printemps Haussmann, there were no stained-glass windows for a longer period of time. Pieces stored in a warehouse were forgotten until the 70’s. ultimately, the cupola has been restored following the original blueprints and found its former glory back. Little trick: Printemps Haussmann guided tour usually takes you behind the scene of this gigantic cupola.
A phoenix rises from its ashes
But Paris has known quite a lot of department stores. Yet, all didn’t manage to get away from closing. In the Palais Royal area, what now houses the Louvre des Antiquaires was the Grands Magasins du Louvre department store.
There’s another department store that despite being closed remains present in Parisians’ minds: La Samaritaine. It shut down in 2005 and since then, the question about its future has been highly intriguing. Taken over by LVMH, the iconic Parisian address is expected to reopen soon with a new face.
