Some buildings are destined to amaze audiences decade after decade. Such is the case of the Opéra Garnier, inaugurated 150 years ago on 5 January 1875. Since then, this Parisian palace has staged a string of world-famous shows, enhanced by a refined French-style décor.
It is considered to be one of the most beautiful opera houses in the world. 150 years after its opening, this artistic institution designed by Charles Garnier, who gave it its name, still inspires lovers of the performing arts. Dancers, singers and orchestras follow one another on this richly ornamented stage. A masterpiece of 19th-century theatrical architecture, the Opéra Garnier is steeped in fascinating history and innumerable anecdotes.
An architectural competition won by Charles Garnier
The roots of the Opéra Garnier date back to 1858, when Napoleon III narrowly escaped a bomb attack by the Italian anarchist Orsini on his way to a performance of the Opéra in the Salle Le Peletier. Two years later, a competition was launched to find the architect who would design a new 10,000m2 building between the Boulevard des Capucines and the Rue de la Chaussée-d’Antin in the 9th arrondissement. 171 candidates took part. Among them were great names in the sector such as Eugène Viollet-le-Duc. However, it was the young Charles Garnier, still unknown at the time, who was selected. Although he had been awarded the Grand Prix de Rome, he was still only an inspector.
If his project was chosen – when those of prestigious names such as Violet Le Duc were rejected – it was because he had the idea of proposing a metal structure to counter the risk of fire, a real scourge of the time. However, he had to cover it all up, concealing the flagship material of the industrial era with noble stones such as Carrara marble and stucco.
‘We need to place this construction in a wider context, which is that of the ideas of the Enlightenment which, since the beginning of the 18th century, have advocated that Paris should have an opera house to structure the urban space and be commensurate with its greatness as a European cultural capital,’ explained Mathias Auclair, General Curator, Director of the Music Department at the Bibliothèque nationale de France, during Radio France’s Point Culture podcast.
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