The metal sructure holding everything together is hidden by vast amounts of marble, stucco velvet and gilding and crowned by an eight-ton bronze and crystal chandelier with 340 lights.Īnd then there is the stage, where dreams and fantastical creatures enthrall us with stories of love and betrayal, where swans take flight and lovers plunge to their death or rise to life, danced on a stage of such mythical proportions that it is hard to comprehend its enormity.

Take your place within the theater, surrounded by over 2,000 other red velvet seats, including private loges or boxes rising above you, all contained within a horseshoe formation. It finally opened in 1875, interrupted by the siege of Paris from 1870-71, when it was transformed into a very large shop!Ī scene from ‘Relève’ in the Palais Garnier. This was to be the “new opera house” built for the people, accessible to all although, from the cheapest seats, you’re not going to see much.

In 1861, at the request of Napolean III, Charles Garnier designed and undertook the construction of the Garnier Opera. With its history and architectural style both functional and flamboyant, this magnificent building is one of the premier performance spaces in the world, with an average of 380 performances a year seen by approximately 800,000 people. One of the most world-renowned and architectuarally beautiful buildings in the world, the Palais Garnier is home to both the Paris Opera and the equally respected and famous Paris Opera Ballet, where approximately 154 dancers call this dance space their daily workplace, along with the many other varied creative artists in residence. The first in the series is the Paris Opera House, or Palais Garnier, located at 8 rue Scribe 75009 in Paris, France.

Dancer at the paris opera ballet