Perspective European Architectural Group visit to La Samaritaine in Paris
Representatives of Coady Architects joined our colleagues in the Perspective European Architectural Group for a site visit to the innovative Samaritaine development in Paris which is currently under construction. The famous Samaritaine department store will be reopened to the general public after undergoing a €300 million overhaul. La Samaritaine has been a familiar destination for Parisians for over a century, and is being completely renovated to include a department store, a prestigious "Cheval-Blanc" hotel, a gourmet restaurant, a brewery, cafes, offices, 96 social housing units and a neighbourhood nursery.
The project falls under the Plan Climat de Paris initiative and aims to reduce energy needs, with the objective of limiting consumption in the renovated sections as well as the new ones. The project aims for triple certification: Exceptional HQE, BREEAM Excellent and LEED Gold as well as obtaining the BBC and BBC renovation labels. The site is centrally located between the Louvre and the Notre Dame Cathedral, and is classified as an architectural monument, bringing together both Art Nouveau and Art Deco styles. The LVMH group now owns the Samaritaine. The building itself is over 750,000 sq ft and 10 stories high, and is situated within two island structures that are located between the streets Quai du Louvre and Rue de Rivoli at Pont Neuf on the Seine. See http://www.lasamaritaine.com/
