In October 2012, Galeries Lafayette will celebrate the centenary of the Dome – 100 years under the Dome – at the flagship store of the boulevard Haussmann, which has become a true Parisian symbol.
Always very linked to contemporary artists and creation, Galeries Lafayette will launch, on this occasion, an event inviting the architect Rem Koolhaas and his studio OMA and the visual artist Yann Kersalé for two new projects
Designed by OMA and its research unit AMO, 1912-2012. Chronicles of a Creative Itinerary is an exhibition that attests the experimentation led by Galeries Lafayette in the last hundred years: to combine culture and shopping under the emblematic glass Dome erected in 1912 by the architect Ferdinand Chanut and the glass artist Jacques Gruber.
By delving deeply into the archives of Galeries Lafayette, AMO has successfully pieced together the story of the changes experienced by this legendary department store. The narration of the exhibition is based on the archives of the company, enriched by documents loaned by institutions.
Yann Kersalé, in collaboration with Djuric Tardio – Architectes, has designed Chrysalide, a luminous creation made specifically for the facade of the store, which will change according to the seasons. The artist has complemented his work by creating a permanent installation in the Dome. Once lit up, the original lustre of the balconies built by Louis Majorelle will be renovated by using 21st century technologies, adding a sense of majesty and wonder to the monument.