Louis Vuitton 2011 Annual Report Download - page 105

OTHER ACTIVITIES
The building contained a department
store and rented offices and retail space
until 2005 when the department store was
closed for safety reasons.
The renovation of La Samaritaine,
which will begin in 2012, will breathe new
life into a remarkable building, bring it into
the modern world, and introduce an ambi-
tious array of amenities, housing and
services.
Combining urban restoration with con-
temporary design, the architectural con-
cept will give La Samaritaine a fresh
identity. The main building, which is one of
France’s major Historical Monuments, will
be a model in renovation that will rely on
the key skills of traditional craftsmanship.
All of the facades will be restored to their
original condition and the glass-covered
grand hall will be returned to its former
splendor.
The rue de Rivoli façade, a melding of
modern aesthetics, urban integration and
technical performance, will revive the tra-
dition of innovation of La Samaritaine,
which has already marked its era, and will
enhance the radiance of Paris.
Over the next few years, Parisians will
witness the revival of a district in the heart
of the 1st arrondissement. With the build-
ing permit filed last July, the project will be
launched in the second half of 2012 and will
last more than two years.
The architectural firm Sanaa, winner of
the 2010 Pritzker Architecture Prize, has
been chosen to lead this ambitious project.
GROUPE
LES ECHOS
— Since 1908 —
The newspaper Les Echos, which cele-
brated its 100th anniversary in 2008, is
really a family venture that began on April
2, 1908 with the creation of a weekly maga-
zine called Les Echos de l’Exportation
(“Export News”). It was a communications
vehicle for Schreiber-Aronson, which spe-
cialized in the export of hardware and hab-
erdashery. Over the decades, the name and
frequency of the newspaper changed, ulti-
mately giving birth to today’s daily newspa-
per, Les Echos.
The publication was sold to Pierre and
Jacqueline Beytout in 1963, and twenty
years later was acquired by Britain’s
Pearson group, which also publishes The
Financial Times. At that time, the group
acquired a number of publications in addi-
tion to new products: the monthlies Enjeux
Les Echos and Série Limitée appeared a
few years apart, along with other special
supplements.
The group also acquired Eurostaf and
Capital Finance.
In 1991, the advertising agency Echofi
was established, which became Les
Echosmédias in November 2008.
Finally, 1996 marks the year when the
website Lesechos.fr was created, making
Les Echos the first French online daily
newspaper, accompanied by the launch of
the world exclusive “e-paper” the first
mobile digital newspaper.
In December 2007, LVMH became
shareholder of the Les Echos Group, con-
firming its desire to adapt to a constantly
changing print-media market.
Today Groupe Les Echos is the leading
economic and financial press group, with
some twenty print and online publications.
It also covers the arts, culture and business
services, primarily through the following
brands and titles: Les Echos, Série Limitée,
Lesechos.fr, Enjeux-Les Echos, Investir,
Investir Magazine, Investir.fr, Capital
Finance, Radio Classique, Connaissance des
Arts, Le Salon des Entrepreneurs, Les
Echos Conférences, Les Echos Formations,
Les Echos Editions, Les Echos Institut,
Eurostaf and SID Presse.
LVMH 2011
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Maisons
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