Pilkington UK, part of the NSG Group, manufactures float, coated, laminated and processed glass for architectural and technical applications. Pilkington Optiwhite™ from Pilkington UK was used in the new Rue de Rivoli façade of La Samaritaine, a historic department store renovated and extended in Paris, France.
The Project
La Samaritaine, a Parisian department store near the Louvre, was renovated and converted into a mixed complex of retail, hospitality and leisure spaces. The project combined the restoration of the historic buildings with new architecture by SANAA, winners of the Pritzker Prize. On Rue de Rivoli, the architects designed a sinuous glass façade that replaces a block of the complex and offers a contemporary face to the street while reflecting the surrounding historic buildings.
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The Product in Use
The façade is made of 343 individually curved and laminated glass panels, supplied by Pilkington Glass Service, part of the NSG Group, using Pilkington Optiwhite™ low-iron glass. Each panel has its own size and shape and weighs between 600 and 1,250 kg, yet is held by only four stainless steel fixings to achieve the minimal profile required by SANAA. A reflective coating applied to the glass creates changing images of Rue de Rivoli, while the clarity and neutral colour of the low-iron substrate preserve outward views from inside the building.
| Location | Paris, France |
| Type of Building | Department store, renovation and extension |
| Architect | SANAA |
| Façade Contractor and Design Developer | Frener & Reifer |
| Product Used | Low Iron Extra Clear Glass - Pilkington Optiwhite™ |
