Retail heaven: Amanda Levete to reimagine the Galeries Lafayette in Paris

Award winning architect Amanda Levete and her London based studio AL_A have just announced they will be redesigning one of Paris's iconic department stores; Galeries Lafayette is one of the French capital's retail landmarks.
The architects have been selected, following a competition among leading international firms, to work on the 40,000 sq m 'Cupola' building of Galerie Lafayette's flagship store on Boulevard Haussman. Founded in Paris in 1893 by Théophile Bader and Alphonse Kahn, the store moved into its current premises in 1912. It glass dome and atrium were famous, becoming a synonym for luxury retail.
The renovation project aims to place architecture at its heart, transforming the existing historical building into a 'new shopping experience'. AL_A was selected for its bold design that blends 'tradition and modernity.' Of course Levete is no stranger to cutting edge retail design, her portfolio including the Selfridges store in Birmingham.
'This store is an institution that has a special place in the life and identity of the city of Paris,' says Levete. '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.'
The world famous store on Boulevard Haussmann is the second most visited tourist attraction in Paris, after the Eiffel Tower.
Works are expected to start on site in 2017.
Levete is no stranger to cutting edge retail design; her portfolio includes the futuristic Selfridges store in Birmingham
INFORMATION
For more information on AL_A visit the website
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018), Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022).
-
Out of office: the Wallpaper* editors’ picks of the week
It was a jam-packed week for the Wallpaper* staff, entailing furniture, tech and music launches and lots of good food – from afternoon tea to omakase
-
Peugeot brings back a classic performance badge for the electric era: meet the E-208 GTi
Peugeot has unveiled the new E-208 GTi, a performance EV designed to hark back to a golden age of compact sports cars
-
This 18th-century Puglian villa has been restored with contemporary touches
The updated stonemason's workshop is a haven of centuries-old brick and sophisticated made-in-Italy design
-
The glory years of the Cannes Film Festival are captured in a new photo book
‘Cannes’ by Derek Ridgers looks back on the photographer's time at the Cannes Film Festival between 1984 and 1996
-
Technology, art and sculptures of fog: LUMA Arles kicks off the 2025/26 season
Three different exhibitions at LUMA Arles, in France, delve into history in a celebration of all mediums; Amy Serafin went to explore
-
Contemporary artist collective Poush takes over Château La Coste
Members of Poush have created 160 works, set in and around the grounds of Château La Coste – the art, architecture and wine estate in Provence
-
Architecture, sculpture and materials: female Lithuanian artists are celebrated in Nîmes
The Carré d'Art in Nîmes, France, spotlights the work of Aleksandra Kasuba and Marija Olšauskaitė, as part of a nationwide celebration of Lithuanian culture
-
‘Who has not dreamed of seeing what the eye cannot grasp?’: Rencontres d’Arles comes to the south of France
Les Rencontres d’Arles 2024 presents over 40 exhibitions and nearly 200 artists, and includes the latest iteration of the BMW Art Makers programme
-
Van Gogh Foundation celebrates ten years with a shape-shifting drone display and The Starry Night
The Van Gogh Foundation presents ‘Van Gogh and the Stars’, anchored by La Nuit Etoilée, which explores representations of the night sky, and the 19th-century fascination with the cosmos
-
Marisa Merz’s unseen works at LaM, Lille, have a uniquely feminine spirit
Marisa Merz’s retrospective at LaM, Lille, is a rare showcase of her work, pursuing life’s most fragile, transient details
-
Step into Francesca Woodman and Julia Margaret Cameron's dreamy photographs in London
'Portraits to Dream In' is currently on show at London's National Portrait Gallery