A Parisian Passage Through Time
As we were walking past the garden side of the Bibliotheque Nationale on rue Vivienne we
noticed the entryway of the Galerie Vivienne. I had read about these Parisian shopping passages which were built in the middle of the 19th century. So, we crossed the street and went in.
I didn't expect to see the charming corridor we discovered behind that unobtrusive, rather
simple archway. Construction on the passage was started in 1823 by no less a personage than the President of the Chamber Notaries, Marchoux. He commissioned architect Francois-Jacques Delannoy to rework the layout of several existing buildings, which included the garden of a former hotel particulier, and convert the site into a cohesive shopping arcade. When the passage opened in 1826, it bore the name of it's owner, but was changed to Galerie Vivienne soon thereafter.
The first passage constructed in Paris was the Passage de l'Opera, which was demolished
in the 1920s. It set the standard for all the arcades that followed. Strolling down the streets of Paris in the 1820s was a different experience than we have today. The majority were unpaved, packed with wagons, carriages, and horses who used the streets as their public toilet, as did many members of the public. The creation of an enclosed, brightly lit, tiled passageway, gave shoppers much needed relief from the smelly, crowded street scene just outside.
Galerie Vivienne was located in a good neighborhood and became an immediate success.
Delannoy also created a sensation by introducing the new, revolutionary lighting system, gas light, which attracted the attention of a very curious public. The now electrified chandeliers are reminders of that long gone era. The elegant French Empire decor, the storefronts, and the beautiful tile work have survived intact; even the bookstore has been in operation since 1826.
Much has changed in and around the Galerie in the past 180 years, but the passage itself is
has remained a charming respite from the hustle and bustle of 21st century Parisian street life.
Posted by designslinger at 5/18/2009 8:10 AM 
Categories: Cities, Architecture, Decorative Arts
Tags: Francois-Jacques Delannoy Paris passages
Categories: Cities, Architecture, Decorative Arts
Tags: Francois-Jacques Delannoy Paris passages
This is certainly the prettiest passage in Paris today, but perhaps too upmarket for me! My favourite today is the Passage Choiseul, a little further along the Rue Notre Dame des Champs. It's more run down, but livelier and full of great, cheap places to eat.