Description

The opera house in Paris is one of the most famous auditoriums in the world. Designed in 1861 by Charles Garnier, the building is in the Neo-Baroque style; it is also classified as Beaux-Arts, and has been the inspiration for many other grand buildings. It boasts more than 17 stories, and marble friezes, columns, and statuary fill the auditorium, which itself occupies only a fifth of the space. The opulent ornamentation and monumental style make the opera house one of the architectural masterpieces of the period. Charles Garnier’s design was so beloved that the building came to be called Palais Garnier. The drawings reproduced here include exterior and interior perspectives, as well as floor plans, facades, and floor and ceiling designs and ornamentation.