The architectural saga of the Palais Garnier in 160 pages

Sunday 19th January 2025 09:05 AM

The hall, the stage curtain and its lambrequin seen from the balcony, at the Palais Garnier, in Paris. JEAN-PIERRE DELAGARDE/ONP

“Author of plays in his spare time, Charles Garnier designs his Opera with the knowledge of a director: for him, architecture is a spectacle. » What Mathias Auclair says about the architect of the Palais Garnier is fully reflected in the sumptuous book that the historian devoted to the building, with the constant concern to favor the visual effect (archive images) over the written fact (data historical, analytical comments).

After retracing the journey of opera theaters in Paris since the 18th century^e century, Mathias Auclair recreates in the smallest details the true saga of the “New Opera”, from the decree promulgated by Napoleon III in 1860 to the competition won in 1861 by Charles Garnier (1825-1898). And even beyond, because the book focuses above all on the construction of the building.

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