Haussmann Facade Above a FNAC Entrance, Paris

4 October 2017 · Paris

The limestone facade does what Haussmann facades always do — it refuses to be background. Cherub reliefs flank the balustrade, carved stone ornament runs cornice to keystone, and then the black steel canopy and FNAC branding land at street level like a hard cut in an edit. Classical architecture carries centuries of intention; the retail sign below it carries a Tuesday afternoon's opening hours. Both are doing exactly what they were built to do.