PARIS — It’s back to square one for the long-delayed renovation of landmark Paris department store La Samaritaine.
A Paris appeals court on Monday upheld an earlier court decision ordering LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton to halt construction on the pharaonic project, following legal action by residents opposed to its plans for an ultramodern building on Rue de Rivoli, one of the city’s main shopping hubs.
La Samaritaine issued a statement expressing its “extreme surprise” at the ruling. Together with the City of Paris, which delivered the construction permit, it plans to now take the matter to the Council of State, France’s supreme court for administrative justice, although the process could take years.
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In a separate statement, the office of Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo noted that the court’s decision ran counter to the conclusions of the public rapporteur. It also noted that the same administrative appeals court in October allowed construction work on the site to resume, pending the final verdict issued on Monday.
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“At a time when the city government is committed to economic attractiveness and job creation, the city continues to support this modernization project, which combines respect for heritage, through a project developed by internationally renowned architects, with a strong commitment to the future of central Paris,” the mayor’s office said.
Japanese architecture firm SANAA has designed a building with a facade of undulating glass, in lieu of the old Samaritaine structure, which has been shuttered since 2005 because of safety concerns.
With an estimated cost of 450 million euros, or $540 million, the structure would incorporate 280,000 square feet of retail space alongside a luxury Cheval Blanc hotel; 95 units of affordable housing; a day care center for 60 children, and 215,000 square feet of offices. LVMH estimates the project will create more than 1,500 jobs.
The Samaritaine department store — a stone’s throw from the Louvre museum — was founded in 1870, with LVMH acquiring a majority stake in 2000. The site — an agglomeration of buildings straddling several centuries and architectural styles — has presented multiple challenges and encountered numerous administrative snags.
The project has been green-lighted by authorities charged with maintaining historic monuments and ensuring any new constructions respect housing quality.
But several parties, including the nonprofit organization Société pour la Protection des Paysages et de l’Esthétique de la France, or Society for the Protection of Landscape and Aesthetics of France in English, filed a motion saying the planned building was an eyesore and should not be allowed.
In its ruling on Monday, the court said that in its opinion, the Samaritaine project did not blend in with surrounding buildings in terms of architecture and materials, as stipulated by French town planning rules. Observers said the decision set a negative precedent against contemporary architecture projects in the French capital.
The latest court decision means that LVMH must halt work immediately on the Rue de Rivoli section of the building, at present a large vacant lot, though it is allowed to continue work on the portion of the complex facing the River Seine, which includes a landmarked Art Deco facade and signs.