Hotel Paris Opéra Garnier

Built in 1860 by the young architect Charles Garnier with his vision of a new opera, he designed the "Opera Garnier" in the style of the Second Empire. It was completed in 1875 in the early days of the Third Republic. It is the largest opera theatre in the world staging up to 450 actors.
It is of interest to note that the massive opera house was constructed above a subterranean river that still leads to an underground artificial lake to this day. The Phantom of the Opera, created by Gaston Leroux, is said to continue his sinister doings down below.

Design

The theatre is richly decorated. The grand escalier, the pompous staircase at the entrance, leads to the grand foyer, through which one proceeds to the floridly ornamented loges of the auditorium.
A grand flight of ten steps leads up to the entrance hall where seven vaulted arcades are separated by groups of sculptures. On the landing, the foyer opens on to a loggia with sixteen double columns flanking the French windows topped by busts of composers. Lastly, a great carved pediment mounted by two large bronze groups allows one to see the green roof of the low dome covering the great hall and Apollo holding up his Iyre above the proscenium arch between the audience and the stage.

Inside as well as outside, one can notice the play of white stone, marble of all colors and gilded bronze. This heightens the majesty of the proportions. The new ceiling frescoes of the Opera were conceived and painted in lively colors by Marc Chagall in 1964. Hanging in the center is an immense crystal chandelier weighing more than eight tons.