Even if the French, Charles Garnier, has travelled a lot during his life in Italy, Greece and Turkey, he was born in Paris in 1825 and died also in Paris, in 1898.

The chef-d’oeuvre of his life is nowadays one of the most famous emblems of Paris but, what is his journey?

First of all, Charles Garnier is a bright student at the royal art school of Paris and succeeds at the unanimity for the prestigious first great prize of Rome in architecture, in 1848. It gives him a scholarship and allows him to enter the Academy of France in Rome.

Then, in 1960, he wins the examination organised by the emperor Napoleon III, for the construction of Paris Opera. He was still an unknown architect and dethroned the 170 other projects.

Finally, in 1874, he integrates the Art Academy.

He constructed other monuments in France and abroad during his entire career.

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Building

First of all, the yard must rapidly be interrupted because of a water-table found on the site. So a tanking in concrete must be made for the water tightness. Now, it can serve for firemen in case of blaze. It is this which have inspired the “Opera’s ghost” legend and its subterranean lake.

The building has lasted from 1862 to 1874 and all was hidden by scaffolds and boards to keep the surprise. The façade has been inaugurated hastily in 1867 for the universal exhibition.

Then, Charles Garnier had to build the opera in a diamond-shaped parcel. So, he often asked for modifications but Haussmann staid hard-nosed. Finally, he has always dreamt to see gardens around the opera after buildings’ demolition, to offer pedestrians the best view.
Charles Garnier supervised all the construction but there were also 14 painters, 73 sculptors and some tile setters.

On the 5th January of 1875, Paris National Opera was inaugurated after several incidents which had interrupted the construction.
1881: electrical lighting appears in the great hall

The opera covers 11,000 m² with a scene which can contain 450 artists thanks to its 15m of gap and 25m in depth. But over the scene, the ceiling is only 45m higher and under the flooring, there are still 15m in depth. All this space permits to order and stock lots of decors.

The auditorium that is in the traditional Italian style, horseshoe-shaped, has gigantic dimensions with 60m of height, 55m of width and 25m of depth. The ceiling had been painted by Lenepveu, the Napoleon III beloved painter, but has been repainted in 1964 by Marc Chagall after a demand of André Malraux, minister of culture of the time. The chandelier weighs 6 tons and the auditorium contains 1,900 seats in red velvet.

And also because it is an Italian theatre, the scene presents 1,25m of change in altitude so that each spectator can profit of the best view. The seats of orchestra are now the most expensive but in the past they were the cheapest because the opera was a real place of life: circles could be rented. But the cheapest places stay the highest, what is called in French “the poultry house”.

In all the opera, we can find 30 sorts of marble!