La Samaritaine

The Samaritan was founded in 1870 by Ernest Cognacq Jay, located along the Seine at the Pont Neuf in the 1st district of Paris, it was the most important sales area with its 48 000 square meters.

The Samaritan was bought in 2001 by the LVMH group, but In June 15, 2005 it closed her doors for an indefinite period because of stake in conformity of the building with the modern standards of safety.

In June 2008 a project was presented by LVMH for the redevelopment of the site, with facing the Seine, a prestigious hotel and Rue de Rivoli, offices, a child care center, shops and public housing. 70 000 square meters will be used and 2500 new jobs created for an investments of 450 million Euros. After a public inquiry, building permits should be acquired at the beginning of 2012 and construction will be completed in the middle of 2014.

The modern, urban and contemporary aspect of the building joins completely the trend of moment. The facade overlooking Rivoli will be completely covered with a transparent and waving glass and each of three buildings leading to the hotel will be opened on patios to produce coherence with the original glass roof to be completely renovated as those of the Grand Palais. This project will be led by the architects of the Japanese agency of architecture and design Sanaa which realized in particular New Museum of Contemporary Art of New York and by the ecologist architect Edouard François for the interior.

From the 80 rooms of the high luxury hotel, customers will take advantage of breathtaking views and of a terraced garden around the glass roof.

Like its 5 stars hotel in Courchevel or luxury villas under construction in Aswan and Oman, it will be a part of the brand White Horse and will be managed at 100 % by the subsidiary of the group, Hotel Management LVMH.

It is likely that a Louis Vuitton store will be created near the hotel and its headquarters but we still don’t know which other luxury brands will be located in this great space.

So it's an ambitious project which the number 1 of luxury in the world set up to make of the Samaritan "The most important Parisian store of the XXI^st century”