Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo inaugurated the renovated Forum des Halles, capping five years of construction marked by controversy and debate over the dramatic steel-and-glass canopy that tops the mostly underground shopping center.

The refurbished shopping center includes an additional 161,500 square feet of selling space. The canopy, designed by Paris-based architects Patrick Berger and Jacques Anziutti, houses 64,500 square feet of retail space. It is home to 18 stores, including Nike, Superdry, Lego and Sephora. The latter is only the second Sephora store in Paris to feature a skin-care bar, after the flagship on Avenue des Champs-Élysées.

There is also a 3,000-square-foot concept store called L'Exception dedicated to upstart labels, the brainchild of Régis Pennel, founder of the online store of the same name that specializes in French brands including Kenzo, Carven and Maison Kitsuné.

In all, there are 35 newcomers including Sandro, Claudie Pierlot, Lacoste, Aigle, Calvin Klein Underwear and backpacks label Herschel, plus convenience store Monoprix, which will open next year.

Among the coming attractions is Champeaux, a brasserie by Alain Ducasse with a stunning view on the Church of Saint-Eustache, set to open April 11. It's one of two restaurants under the canopy alongside Za, a hip bistro designed by Philippe Starck.

The shopping center will be home to a total of 150 stores, versus 115 before and it will open on Sundays.

The Forum des Halles also houses several cultural spaces, including a music conservatory, multimedia library and La Place, a new association dedicated to hip-hop culture that is headed by designer Agnès Troublé, aka Agnès b., who has partially financed the space.

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