En construction - à venir

Sadly, my first visit to Paris in 2007 was after the grand magasin, La Samaritaine, had already closed so I never experienced her former glory. This last trip, I was thrilled to see that she is now under renovations. Click here to see what's planned. Built in 1869, this Art Deco beauty will be brought back to life in new and exciting ways. The reopening is planned for 2018, so  I"m hoping to see it!

La Samaritaine

Soon this beautiful old beauty overlooking the Seine will have new life. Please click the link to see the marvelous new plans!

Coming Back to Life

I never had the pleasure of visiting la Samaritaine before it closed in 2005. Now it's under a grand renovation to transform the former department store in the Art Nouveau style to a upscale hotel with rooftop bar. Other parts will become a"luxury supermarket, featuring a sleek wavy glass front. It will be exciting to see when completed. Paris always finds a way to keep the old while mixing in the contemporary.

One Last Look

If you look closely in the background, you can see the famous la Samaritaine, one of Paris' grand magasins before it closed in 2005 dues to safety issues.  It is now under complete renovation, to the tune of 450 million euros. I would have loved to see Paris from its rooftop café.  Let me hear from you, dear readers, if you were able to have the pleasure before it closed.