Palais Garnier

In 1821, the Opéra de Paris moved into a temporary building, but by 1847 plans for a new permanent building were underway. The Prefect of the Seine selected a site on the east side of the Place du Palais-Royal for the new opera house, but interest in its construction dwindled after the Revolution of 1848. It was not until the establishment of the Second Empire in 1852 and Georges-Eugène Haussmann's appointment as Prefect of the Seine in 1853 that interest in a new opera house was renewed. The attempted assassination of Emperor Napoleon III at the entrance to the Salle Le Peletier in 1858 underscored the need for a more secure entrance for the head of state and a new state-funded opera house. In March, Haussmann settled on a proposed site off the Boulevard des Capucines, which was officially designated for the new Opéra in September 1860. By November of that year, architect Charles Rohault de Fleury had completed the design for the new building, which would eventually occupy 12,000 square metres. However, when Achille Fould was replaced as Minister of State by Count Alexandre Colonna-Walewski, the decision to select the architect for the new opera house was delayed by Walewski's proposal to mount an architectural design competition.

In 1860, the Second Empire of Emperor Napoleon III announced a design competition for the construction of a new opera house. The competition had two phases, and Charles Garnier's design was one of about 170 submitted in the first phase. He was selected as one of seven finalists for the second phase, and his design was awarded fifth place. In the second phase, the contestants were required to revise their original projects, and Garnier's project was selected on 29 May 1861 for its "rare and superior qualities in the beautiful distribution of the plans, the monumental and characteristic aspect of the facades and sections."

Garnier's project was admired for its simplicity, clarity, logic, grandeur, and the exterior dispositions that distinguished the plan in three distinct parts: the public spaces, auditorium, and stage. Despite the Empress Eugénie's irritation that her favored candidate, Viollet-le-Duc, was not selected, Garnier's design was praised for being emblematic of its time and the Second Empire that created it. Garnier's opera house was a mixture of up-to-the-minute technology, prescriptive rationalism, exuberant eclecticism, and astonishing opulence. The judges of the competition particularly admired the clarity of Garnier's plan, which was a brilliant example of the beaux-arts design methods in which he and they were thoroughly versed.

On July 2, 1861, Garnier secured the initial funds to commence the construction of the opera house. He then set up the Opéra Agence, his office on the construction site, and recruited a team of architects and draftsmen. Garnier appointed Louis-Victor Louvet as his second-in-command, followed by Jean Jourdain and Edmond Le Deschault.

Excavation of the site lasted from 27 August to 31 December. The opera house required a deeper substage basement, but the high level of groundwater caused issues. To address this, a double foundation was designed by Garnier, featuring a water course and a large concrete cistern. Construction of the cistern began on 20 June and was completed by 8 November, along with the substructure. A legend arose that the opera house was built over a subterranean lake, inspiring Gaston Leroux's novel, The Phantom of the Opera. The cornerstone was laid on 21 July at the southeast corner of the facade.

Louis Villeminot constructed a plaster scale model of the building at a cost of over 8,000 francs between April 1862 and April 1863, which the emperor reviewed and requested changes to, including the removal of a terrace and the addition of a continuous frieze with quadrigae. The modified model was displayed at the 1863 exhibition, attracting much attention and praise. However, the emperor's quadrigae were never added, and instead, Harmony and Poetry sculptures were installed in 1869. The decorative medallions bearing the imperial monogram were also redesigned with alternating low- and high-relief medallions, with the original letters installed in 2000.

The scaffolding was removed on August 15, 1867, just in time for the Paris Exposition. The official title "ACADEMIE IMPERIALE DE MUSIQUE" was displayed prominently on the entablature of the Corinthian order of columns at the front of the main-floor loggia. Following the emperor's deposition on September 4, 1870, as a result of the Franco-Prussian War, the Opera was renamed Théâtre National de l'Opéra on September 17, 1870, a name it held until 1939. However, when the new opera house was named, only the first six letters of IMPERIALE were replaced, resulting in the famous "ACADEMIE NATIONALE DE MUSIQUE," a title used during the Second Republic.

During the Franco-Prussian War, the construction of the building was interrupted and parts of it were used as a food warehouse and hospital. Garnier fell ill and left Paris to recover, while his assistant documented events during the Paris Commune. The National Guard defended the building during the conflict and the Commune planned to replace Garnier with another architect, but this did not happen. Republican troops regained control of the building in May and construction work resumed in September, with funds voted for further construction in October.

The newly elected government's leaders harbored a strong aversion towards anything linked to the Second Empire, and many of them considered the essentially non-political Garnier as a leftover from that regime. This sentiment persisted under the presidency of Adolphe Thiers, who held office until May 1873, and also continued during his successor Marshal MacMahon's reign. The demand for economic austerity forced Garnier to halt the construction of certain sections of the building, notably the Pavillon de l'Empereur, which later became the Opera Library Museum. However, the urgent need to complete the new theatre arose on 28-29 October when the Salle Le Peletier was consumed by a fire that raged all night. Garnier was promptly instructed to finish the building as soon as possible.

In 1874, the cost of completing the new Paris opera house exceeded 7.5 million francs, a significant increase compared to previous years. To finance the project, the cash-strapped Third Republic government borrowed 4.9 million gold francs with a six percent interest rate from François Blanc, a wealthy financier who managed the Monte Carlo Casino. From 1876 to 1879, Garnier oversaw the design and construction of the Salle Garnier, a concert hall at the Monte Carlo Casino which later became the home of the Opéra de Monte Carlo.

Despite the financial constraints, Garnier and his team worked tirelessly to complete the new Paris opera house in 1874. On October 17th, an acoustical test of the new auditorium was conducted by the orchestra, followed by another test on December 2nd which was attended by officials, guests, and members of the press. The Paris Opera Ballet danced on the stage on December 12th, and six days later, the famous chandelier was lit for the first time.

The theatre was officially inaugurated on January 5th, 1875, with a grand gala performance attended by notable figures such as Marshal MacMahon, the Lord Mayor of London, and King Alfonso XII of Spain. The program included various overtures, acts, and ballets from famous operas, and during the intermission, Garnier was applauded by the audience as he stepped out onto the grand staircase landing.

The Palais Garnier boasts impressive dimensions, standing 56 meters (184 ft) tall from ground level to the top of the stage flytower apex, and 32 meters (105 ft) to the peak of its facade. The building stretches 154.9 meters (508 ft) in length, with a width of 70.2 meters (230 ft) at the lateral galleries and 101.2 meters (332 ft) at the east and west pavilions. Additionally, the cistern under the stage sits 10.13 meters (33.2 ft) below ground level. The structural system is comprised of sturdy masonry walls and concealed iron floors, vaults, and roofs.

According to Charles Garnier (1825-1898), the opera house was constructed in the "Napoleon III" style, which was known for its eclecticism and drew inspiration from various historical sources. The building incorporated elements from Baroque, Palladian classicism, and Renaissance architecture, blended together with axial symmetry and modern materials such as an iron framework. This technique had previously been used in other Napoleon III buildings such as the Bibliothèque Nationale and Les Halles markets.

The principle of leaving no space without decoration was applied to both the exterior and interior of the opera house, following the Napoleon III style. Garnier used polychromy to achieve a theatrical effect by combining various colors, different types of marble and stone, porphyry, and gilded bronze. The façade of the opera house featured seventeen different types of material arranged in elaborate multicolored marble friezes, columns, and statuary, many of which depicted Greek mythological deities.

Main façade

Overlooking the Place de l'Opéra and terminating the perspective along the Avenue de l'Opéra is the principal façade situated on the south side of the building. The creation of its ornamentation involved the contribution of fourteen painters, mosaicists, and seventy-three sculptors.

Gilt copper electrotype figurative groups, Charles Gumery's L'Harmonie (Harmony) and La Poésie (Poetry), grace the apexes of the left and right avant-corps of the principal façade.

The two avant-corps of the façade have bases adorned with four significant multi-figure groups sculpted by François Jouffroy (Poetry, also known as Harmony), Jean-Baptiste Claude Eugène Guillaume (Instrumental Music), Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux (The Dance, which faced criticism for indecency), and Jean-Joseph Perraud (Lyrical Drama). Alexandre Falguière, Gumery, and others also contributed to the façade's decoration.

Between the columns of the theatre's front façade are gilded galvanoplastic bronze busts of many famous composers, arranged in the following order from left to right: Rossini, Auber, Beethoven, Mozart, Spontini, Meyerbeer, and Halévy. The front façade's left and right lateral returns showcase busts of librettists Eugène Scribe and Philippe Quinault, respectively.

Grand staircase

The Grand Foyer in the building boasts a magnificent white marble ceremonial staircase, with a balustrade crafted from red and green marble. This grand staircase divides into two flights that lead to the Grand Foyer, and its design was inspired by Victor Louis's grand staircase for the Théâtre de Bordeaux. The pedestals of the staircase are adorned with female torchères, which were created by Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse. Above the staircase, the ceiling was painted by Isidore Pils, depicting scenes such as The Triumph of Apollo, The Enchantment of Music Deploying its Charms, Minerva Fighting Brutality Watched by the Gods of Olympus, and The City of Paris Receiving the Plan of the New Opéra. However, when the paintings were first installed two months before the building's opening, Garnier noticed that they were too dark for the space. To fix this issue, Pils had to rework the canvases while they were in place on the ceiling, and at the age of 61, he fell ill. His students had to complete the work, which was done the day before the opening, and the scaffolding was removed.

Cave of Pythia

Garnier originally intended to place a white marble statue of Orpheus at the base of the Grand staircase, but due to insufficient funds, this plan fell through. The possibility of relocating La Danse (Carpeaux) from the main facade was discussed, but instead, Garnier selected Pythia, a sculpture by Adèle d'Affry, who also went by the pseudonym Marcello. The sculpture is flanked by two bronze lamps created by Jules Corboz. The staircase's intrados is adorned with plant motifs, musical instruments, masks, and shells, creating an atmosphere reminiscent of a Nymphaeum.

Pythia, according to Greek mythology, was the priestess of Apollo, the god of the arts, who delivered his oracles. Marcello wanted her depiction of Pythia to stand out from other artists' interpretations. She envisioned "an Indian Pythia, the one whose tongue Alexander set wagging. A kind of gypsy." Marcello desired a portrayal of a "poor woman of a rather strange and bestial type, illuminated by the spirit." She wanted the sculpture to resemble the fortune tellers of India, with tame snakes coiled around their foreheads.

Grand foyer

This grand chamber was originally intended to serve as a social gathering place for Parisian elites, boasting impressive dimensions of 18 meters in height, 54 meters in length, and 13 meters in width. Following a restoration in 2004, the hall's ceiling, painted by Paul-Jacques-Aimé Baudry, depicts significant moments in the history of music. Adjacent to the foyer are two octagonal salons, each featuring a painted ceiling by Jules-Élie Delaunay and Félix-Joseph Barrias in the eastern and western salons, respectively. The salons open to the north, leading to the Salon de la Lune and the Salon du Soleil at opposite ends of the Avant-Foyer. An outdoor loggia also adjoins the foyer.