Don’t Miss the ‘Saga of Department Stores’ at the Cité de l’architecture
Situated high on the Trocadéro in the 16th arrondissement, the Cité de l’architecture et du patrimoine is one of our favorite Paris museums. The city’s architecture museum was first founded by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc (oui, of Notre Dame fame!) and is housed inside the eastern wing of the Palais de Chaillot. The soaring, light-filled rooms narrate the history of architecture in France via plaster casts of monuments, cathedral gargoyles, scale models, stained glass and more.
There’s even a replica of a Le Corbusier apartment from the Cité radieuse in Marseille. What’s more, the floor-to-ceiling windows showcase incredible Eiffel Tower views. And an ongoing program of temporary exhibitions (check out our review of Metro! here) fascinates visitors.
The Saga of Department Stores at the Cité de l’architecture et du patrimoine
It’s here where a buzzworthy exhibition opens today called “The Saga of Department Stores: From 1850 to Today.” This cool, immersive show is the second installment of a two-part expo created in partnership with MAD, examining the evolution of these temples of consumption from their Paris beginnings in the mid 19th century to their present, 21st-century incarnations all over the world.
Charpentier, Grands magasins de La Samaritaine, projet de restructuration. SIAF/ Cité de l’architecture et du patrimoine
Commercial catalogue for the Poiret collection at Printemps, 1933. Collection Printemps Heritage
Discover how these dazzling structures — blending commerce, theater, and social interaction as a new category in architecture — historically transformed urban landscapes and revolutionized retail spaces. Today, the department store’s “architecture of desire” continues to reflect societal changes. With the advent of online shopping and ecommerce in the 1990s, the grands magasins had to reinvent themselves, focusing on service and unique in-store experiences.
The exhibit features 500 original works from the private collections of department stores that have never before been published.
DETAILS
The Saga of Department Stores, running from Nov 6, 2024- April 6, 2025
Cité de l’architecture et du patrimoine
Full price ticket 12€, reduced price ticket 9€
1, place du Trocadéro, 16th arrondissement
Metro: Trocadéro / Iéna
Open every day from 11 am to 7 pm, closed Tuesdays. Late closures on Thursday evenings at 9 pm.
Lead photo credit : courtesy of Cité de l’architecture et du patrimoine/ Instagram
More in Cité de l’architecture, Le Corbusier, Paris architecture, Trocadéro, Viollet-le-Duc
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