Architecture

Grand Bazar de Lyon

Lyon

Grand Bazar de Lyon was an ancient department store located at 31, rue de la République in Lyon’s Cordeliers district. Created under the name À la ville de Lyon by Jean Dabonneau in 1856, it opened in 1860 with children’s and adult’s clothing, fabrics, and haberdashery. In 1885, it was bought by Henri Perrot, owner of the neighboring competing store Aux Deux Passages, and the Grand Bazar store name was adopted. The board of directors included Paul Kahn, who later became administrator of Galeries Lafayette. The building was equipped with electric lighting, the basements were developed, and home deliveries by car were launched in 1906. The building was raised by 4 meters by architects Joseph Bissuel and Joseph Chantres, and expansion works continued after the First World War. The Grand Bazar building was demolished in 2005; a new glass building designed by architect Jean-Pierre Buffi opened in 2007.

Map showing the location of Grand Bazar de Lyon in Lyon
Location of Grand Bazar de Lyon in Lyon

Nearby Objects

Location and Demolition

Le Grand Bazar de Lyon was an ancient department store located at 31, rue de la Republique in the Cordeliers district in Lyon. It stood at this address as part of the city center before being demolished in 2005. The available facts identify it chiefly through its location and its later demolition, making it a noted former retail site in Lyon's urban history.

From Boutique to Grand Bazar

The history of the Grand Bazar de Lyon begins in 1856, when it was created under the name "A la ville de Lyon" by Jean Dabonneau. It opened in 1860 with a range of children's and adult's clothing, fabrics, and haberdashery. In 1885, the store was bought by Henri Perrot, owner of the neighboring competing store Aux Deux Passages, and it then opened as the Grand Bazar.

The business expanded steadily in the early 20th century. Its board of directors included Paul Kahn, who later became administrator of Galeries Lafayette. The store installed electric lighting throughout and developed its basements, and from 1906 it launched home deliveries by car. The building was also raised by 4 meters by the architects Joseph Bissuel and Joseph Chantres. Expansion continued after the First World War, although the store's large size created accounting difficulties that froze the company's revenues.

The owning company later underwent significant transformations, and the Grand Bazar brand regained its post-war size by the late 1930s. In the 1950s, its purchasing center merged with Prisunic stores. The company was acquired by the Monoprix group in 1997. The original Grand Bazar building was demolished in 2005, and a new glass building designed by architect Jean-Pierre Buffi opened in 2007.

Archival Records

The archives of the Grand Bazar de Lyon are preserved at the Archives du departement du Rhone et de la metropole de Lyon under cote 133 J. This archival reference indicates where documentation related to the Grand Bazar de Lyon can be consulted.