Not all the stores in this area are fast-casual and fast-furniture outlets housed in handsome classic stone buildings. There is also a unique department store. I didn’t know about it when I snapped this picture, but here’s an example.

As I later discovered, the old and new facades of the Samaritaine Department Store are seen here. I took a picture of it that night because it looked pretty. Sometimes, my analysis of photographic subjects doesn’t go any deeper than that.

There is a dramatic difference between the two facades. The older one on the left is in the Art Nouveau style from about one hundred years ago; the new curved glass version probably dates to just the second decade of this century. The entire complex was completely renovated and reopened in 2021. I’ll feature the dramatic interior later in this series.

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