Tourist attractions in Paris : Opéra de Paris Garnier

The Palais Garnier is a 1,979-seat opera house, which was built from 1861 to 1875 for the Paris Opera. It was originally called the Salle des Capucines because of its location on the Boulevard des Capucines in the 9th district of Paris, but soon became known as the Palais Garnier in recognition of its architect, Charles Garnier. The Palais Garnier is probably the most famous opera house in the world. Several buildings around the world were inspired by the design of the Palais Garnier. The theater also often referred to as the Opéra Garnier, and historically was known as the Opéra de Paris or simply the Opéra, as it was the primary home of the Paris Opera .It also houses the Bibliothèque-Musée de l'Opéra de Paris (Paris Opera Library-Museum) in which three centuries of the Paris Opera's history through paintings, costumes, drawings of scenery, and scale models of set designs is displayed.

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The Palais Garnier was designed as part of the great reconstruction of Paris during the Second Empire initiated by Emperor Napoleon III, who chose Baron Haussmann to supervise the reconstruction. In 1858 the Emperor authorized Haussmann to clear the required 12,000 square meters of land to build a second theater for the world-renowned Parisian Opera and Ballet companies. In 1861 an architectural design competition was held , which was won by the architect Charles Garnier (1825–1898). Construction of the opera building started in 1861. Despite numerous problems, such as the outbreak of war and the fall of the empire the theater was formally inaugurated on 5 January 1875 with a lavish gala performance.

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From the architectural point of view, the Palais Garnier  is considered typically Beaux-Arts, with use of axial symmetry in plan, and its exterior ornamentation. Its audience sits under a central chandelier which weighs more than six tons, and it has a huge stage with room to accommodate as many as 450 artists.
It is decorated with very elaborate multicolored marble friezes, columns, and lavish statuary, many of which portray deities of Greek mythology. Gilded bronze busts of many of the great composers are located between the columns of the theater's front facade.

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The interior consists of interweaving corridors, stairwells, alcoves and landings allowing the movement of large numbers of people and space for socializing during intermission. Rich with velvet, gold leaf, and cherubim and nymphs, the interior is characteristic of Baroque sumptuousness. The ceiling area, which surrounds the chandelier, contains a new 1964 painting by Marc Chagall which was installed on a removable frame over the original and depicts scenes from operas by 14 composers.

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During 1994, restoration work began on the theater. This consisted of modernizing the stage machinery and electrical facilities, while restoring and preserving the opulent décor, as well as strengthening the structure and foundation of the building . This restoration was completed in 2007.


Text Source: wikipedia.org