The French department store Galeries Lafayette have confirmed they will open a shop at Royal Hamilius, a urban planning project which will encompass shopping areas, housing, offices and services in Luxembourg City centre. The announcement ends months of speculation over which store would occupy the prime retail location [the site was previously expected to welcome Galeria Inno, which had signed a lease and then cancelled].

The six-story, 100,000-square-foot location is to be created in partnership with CODIC, a European real-estate developer, and should open late 2019. The facade of the building, designed by architect Norman Foster, will be diamond-shaped and a so-called sky restaurant will be located on the upper two floors with a large south-facing terrace, green space and views stretching over the city centre towards the cathedral. The Luxembourg branch will include clothes brands, a home section and will host events.

As part of its international push, Galeries Lafayette is to open outlets in Doha (scheduled for this autumn), Istanbul (second store), Shanghai and Kuwait City (opening in 2019), Milan (2021).

Press release