Architecture (s) | Galerie des Galeries

History of Galeries Lafayette

The architecture of department stores fosters the emergence of new lifestyles, which in turn fuel social and economic progress. As a bustling hub where people from all walks of life come to discover the best market in all of Paris, Galeries Lafayette offers not only a unique shopping experience but also new forms of interaction among visitors from diverse backgrounds and walks of life.

Galeries Lafayette, the newest of the department stores, was founded in December 1893 by two cousins from Alsace, Théophile Bader and Alphonse Kahn. Galeries Lafayette opened for business on January 15, 1894. The 70-square-meter store was located at 1 Rue Lafayette. The store’s layout and location gave rise to the name Aux Galeries Lafayette.

The Art Nouveau Coupola

For the attentive observer, it is in train stations—and even more so in department stores—that the modernity of 19th-century architecture finds its expression.

Galeries Lafayette, like its competitors, turned its building into a media platform and fully understood the power of this new commercial architecture. Art Nouveau, through the representatives of the Nancy School, holds a prominent place, and the most spectacular features of the store on Boulevard Haussmann—the dome, the grand staircase, and the Neo-Byzantine façade—date from 1909 to 1912.

An artistic movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it profoundly influenced the architecture and interior design of Parisian department stores. Characterized by its curved lines, plant motifs, and bold use of glass and wrought iron, it transformed these commercial spaces into true works of art.

The restaurations

Heritage restoration projects, such as those of the Dome and the Neo-Byzantine Facade, aim to preserve and restore the splendor of historic buildings. For the Dome, the 1912 stained-glass windows were meticulously restored, and the lighting was optimized to restore the original brightness, while the Neo-Byzantine facade was returned to its original colors through a restoration project.

These projects, which combine technical expertise with attention to artistic detail, ensure the preservation of unique features while enhancing the building’s safety and durability.