Palais Garnier

Palais Garnier
Opéra Garnier
The façade of the Palais Garnier opera house
General information
Type	Opera house
Architectural style	Second Empire and Beaux-Arts
Location	Place de l'Opéra, 9th arrondissement, Paris, France
Coordinates	48°52′19″N 2°19′54″E / 48.87194°N 2.33167°E / 48.87194; 2.33167Coordinates: 48°52′19″N 2°19′54″E / 48.87194°N 2.33167°E / 48.87194; 2.33167
Construction started	August 1861
Inaugurated	5 January 1875
Cost	36,010,571.04 francs (as of 20 November 1875)
Height	56 metres (184 ft) from ground level to the apex of the stage flytower; 32 metres (105 ft) to the top of the facade
Dimensions
Other dimensions	154.9 metres (508 ft) long; 70.2 metres (230 ft) wide at the lateral galleries; 101.2 metres (332 ft) wide at the east and west pavilions; 10.13 metres (33.2 ft) from ground level to bottom of the cistern under the stage
Technical details
Structural system	masonry walls; concealed iron floors, vaults, and roofs
Design and construction
Architect	Charles Garnier
Other information
Seating capacity	1,900

External video

Garnier's Paris Opéra, Smarthistory at Khan Academy

The Palais Garnier (pronounced: [palɛ ɡaʁnje] French   ) is a 1,979-seat opera house, which was built from 1861 to 1875 for the Paris Opera. It was called the Salle des Capucines, because of its location on the Boulevard des Capucines in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, but soon became known as the Palais Garnier, in recognition of its opulence and its architect, Charles Garnier. The theatre is also often referred to as the Opéra Garnier (French   ) and historically was known as the Opéra de Paris or simply the Opéra, as it was the primary home of the Paris Opera and its associated Paris Opera Ballet until 1989, when the Opéra Bastille opened at the Place de la Bastille. The Paris Opera now mainly uses the Palais Garnier for ballet.