Did you know? Why is there an old safe in the basement of the Monoprix on the Champs-Elysées?

While shopping in the basement of the Monoprix store on the Champs-Élysées, you'll come across a huge, astonishing safe door. What's this antique safe door got to do with the store?

This historic vestige recalls the former use of the building, located at 52 avenue des Champs-Élysées, which once housed the headquarters of First National City Bank. Built in 1930 by architect André-Louis Arfvidson, the building bears witness to the influence of Art Deco architecture on the Champs-Élysées, and still retains elements of its banking past.

In 1927, Théophile Bader, founder of Galeries Lafayette, acquired a plot of land at the corner of avenue des Champs-Elysées and rue de la Boétie, in the hope of building a department store inspired by the American model. However, the crisis of 1929 forced him to abandon this ambitious project. The land was sold to the First National City Bank, which built its Paris headquarters on the site. Today, the past meets the present, as Galeries Lafayette eventually moved to the Champs-Elysées.

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Walk into the basement of Monoprix and you'll discover this imposing door, now protected by glass, right next to the checkouts. What appears to be a simple curiosity is in fact evidence of the building's use as a bank, with its huge vaults.

When Virgin Megastore was opened in 1989, it was decided to retain this spectacular door, symbolizing the history of the store. In fact, at the time, a footbridge even crossed the door to access the book department, offering customers a novel experience.

The building at 52 avenue des Champs-Élysées is a remarkable example of 1930s architecture, marked by the sober, elegant lines of the Art Deco style. The huge safe door, a vestige of this era, still stands proudly in the basement, a reminder of the building's rich past. Today, this building, which once housed the famous Virgin Megastore and Prisunic before being taken over by Monoprix, continues to amaze with this unexpected feature, right in the heart of Paris' busiest district.

So, if you're passing through the Champs-Elysées in Paris's 8th arrondissement, take a look at this astonishing door to the Monoprix des Champs-Élysées safe, a historical landmark worth discovering. It recounts a little-known part of the district's history, when the Champs-Élysées was home not only to prestigious retailers, but also to major financial institutions.