Exterior view
by GARNIER, Charles, Photo
Charles Garnier’s Paris Op�ra House is widely regarded as the climax of 19th-century French classicism. The ingenious planning and spatial complexity of the Op�ra owe much to Beaux-Arts methods of organization, but the scale is new, as is the lavish provision of circulation space, including the great staircase and numerous richly decorated galleries, foyers, and corridors. Garnier planned this spectacular setting so that visitors would begin their theatrical experience the moment they entered the building.
The photo shows the south fa�ade of the building. The sculptural groups at the top of the fa�ade are the work of Aim� Millet and Charles Alphonse Achille Gumery.
The Op�ra fits into the web of new streets or boulevards built for Emperor Napoleon III by Baron Haussmann in 1854-70.
View the ground plan of the Garnier Op�ra, Paris.