I came across a beautiful post by Amerloque, a long-term American expatriate resident in France. http://amerloqueparis.blogspot.com/ After talking about the notion of "tradition," Amerloque gives a brief and interesting history of the Samaritaine department store in Paris. I have a long history of shopping at Samaritaine and have always recommended to visitors to Paris that they ride the elevator to the top floor to enjoy one of the best views of the city. You are up high enough to see a lot, but not so high up that everything below looks minuscule. In any case, Samaritaine has been acquired by LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy), a conglomerate specializing in luxury goods. Amerloque describes the reaction in Paris to a recent announcement by LVMH that Sama will close (for work on the structure), perhaps temporarily. Some feel that the curtain has been drawn on Samaritaine forever and that real estate speculation is behind the closing.
LVMH may be more concerned about keeping its shareholders happy than about preserving a Parisian landmark and an important local employer, but beware. If pervasive corporate interests start running Paris, the City of Light may not continue to draw the visitors it currently attracts. Mitterand’s ‘grands travaux,’ a series of public building projects including among others the expansion of the Louvre, the Bastille Opera, and the Musee d’Orsay, revitalized Paris in the late 20th century. Corporate interests are also capable of generating the capital to carry out major projects, but with the motivation of enriching shareholders and corporate officers, many of whom are foreign and have no stake in the future of the city. If corporations cash in on Paris, it will be for their gain and at the city’s expense in the long term.
Comments