Printemps Haussmann
A fire in 1881 gave Paris one of its boldest iron-and-glass stores, and in 1923 a cupola of stained glass that still colours the light.
At a glance
Printemps faces Galeries Lafayette across Boulevard Haussmann, a rival in the same Belle Époque trade. Jules Jaluzot and Jean-Alfred Duclos founded it in 1865. After a fire in 1881 the architect Paul Sédille rebuilt it in iron, glass and stone, finished in 1883. Its signature is overhead: a stained-glass cupola installed in 1923.
Key facts
- Location: Boulevard Haussmann, 9th arrondissement, Paris
- Architect: Paul Sédille (building completed 1883)
- Stained-glass cupola: master glassmaker Brière, 1923; restored 1972
- Protection: listed historic monument since 1975
- Style: eclectic structure with Art Nouveau ornament
History
Jaluzot and his partner Jean-Alfred Duclos opened Printemps in 1865 and pushed the new idea of fixed prices and seasonal sales. The 1881 fire destroyed much of the store. Paul Sédille rebuilt it by 1883, keeping wide iron frames and large windows that let daylight reach deep into the floors.
In 1923 the glassmaker Brière set stained-glass cupolas over the building. War later forced their removal; Brière’s grandson restored the surviving cupola in 1972, working from drawings kept in the family workshop. The façades and roofs of the Sédille building were listed as a historic monument in 1975.
What you see
The cupola is the reason to look up. Dozens of panes fan out in amber, green and blue, a wheel of coloured light over the café floor. Below it, the decorative mosaics and metalwork carry the curved, plant-like lines of Art Nouveau. The architecture is eclectic at heart, but the glasswork is pure period theatre.
Practical information
- Open: Monday to Sunday, retail hours
- Cost: free to enter
- Best for: the cupola, seen from the brasserie beneath it
- Time needed: 30–45 minutes
Getting there
Métro Havre–Caumartin (lines 3 and 9) is at the door, with Saint-Lazare a two-minute walk north. The store sits on the same block as Galeries Lafayette, so both can be seen in one visit.
Nearby
- Galeries Lafayette Haussmann — the neighbouring store and its 1912 dome
- Gare Saint-Lazare — Monet’s railway cathedral, a short walk north
Sources
- Encyclopædia Britannica / Wikipedia — Printemps
- French Ministry of Culture (base Mérimée) — monument listing
- Wikimedia Commons — image source and licence
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