France’s highest administrative court reverses earlier rulings, finds that the proposed glass facade is sufficiently in harmony with Paris existing architecture.

A French court of appeal recently blocked the restoration of the former Paris department store La Samaritaine on the grounds that its Rue de Rivoli façade does not match its historic setting. We reported on the renovations here.

La Samaritaine, one of Paris’s iconic landmarks, is to be reborn following an ambitious makeover project. The famous department store, first opened in 1870, is situated between the Pont Neuf and the rue de Rivoli, close to the Louvre Museum. The 1st arrondissement (district) is the city’s luxury shop window, with some sought-after addresses.