Captivating the gaze of onlookers and customers for more than a century, it consists of ten beams, together forming an immense flower of 1000 m2 of stained glass, erected in a typical Art Nouveau style. These stained-glass windows are the work of master glassmaker Jacques Gruber who, with the architect Ferdinand Chanut, wanted to give color and light to the department store by creating very elaborate stained-glass windows, of neo-Byzantine inspiration and overhanging 14 meters the rest of the building. A Parisian symbol that has enjoyed a rather quiet existence In a century, this work has become the symbol of Galeries Lafayette, but also one of the most famous attractions in Paris. During its blissful existence, the cupola will have known only a short period of hassle: during World War II, its stained glass windows were removed and stored in crates to prevent them from being destroyed and injuring customers. in the event of a bombardment. Problem, at the end of the war, the stained glass windows, although minutely numbered, were not all found. The missing parts have therefore been replaced by white glasses and the dome that we see today is therefore much less colorful than it was originally. If part of the dome is no longer original, the good life of this immense glass roof should not end any time soon: since the end of 2019, it has been the subject of a restoration operation which should last until summer 2020. The work, entrusted to the Maison du Vitrail, is mainly carried out at night and consists of removing the panels to restore them to good condition, clean them and solidify them.
