Design, as any other creative field, is an art that evolves constantly; 21st century architecture proves it. At first glance, some of today’s architecture may come across as being entirely original: deconstructivism, sculptural architecture, and highly conceptual designs commonly labeled as “contemporary”. The reality is that no design pops out of nowhere. What we perceive as current is only a reaction, or rather a posture, regarding its predecessor. An example of this can be seen in Charles Garnier’s Opera House, which also features complex sections and impressive proportions. That said, it’s also worth noting all the intersecting influences Garnier studied in order to create one of Europe’s most iconic performance venues. Studying both the structural and aesthetic attributes, as well as its historic context, we’ll take a deeper look at the Paris Opera House and its place in history.
Construction of the Opera House began in 1860 at the behest of Napoleon III, two years after an explosion that destroyed the previous venue. Garnier, whose work was selected through a design competition, worked alongside a team of peers also belonging to the prestigious Ecole des Beaux-Arts, to bring this massive structure to life. The Palais Garnier’s façade features great ornamental detail, a series of arches, statues, columns crowned with arched pediments, and on top of it all, an enormous dome encasing the audience and the orchestra. The interior, heavily decorated in true baroque fashion, features an extensive foyer and a Y-shaped Grand Staircase crafted out of marble, which not only sets the tone of the building’s grandeur but also leads visitors through to their respective seating areas. Among the theater’s various features, it’s safe to say the greatest of them all is the auditorium, which features ornate rows of seats, a majestic chandelier, and Marc Chagall’s 1964 ceiling painting; but the details don’t end here. In order to understand the Opera and its design, it’s necessary to take a look at its cross section. Dividing the sectioned building into four parts (these being the main entrances and public areas, the auditorium, the stage, and lastly, the rehearsal rooms and administrative areas), the spatial journey from the foyer towards the auditorium becomes more evident. The section reveals the underground cistern, designed by Garnier as a solution to avoid moisture and water reaching the ground levels, which is used today as a water reservoir. Eighty meters high above, we also see the dome and its iron structure, visually concealed from both the auditorium and the exterior. The complexity of the mechanical systems above the stage and the activity occurring underground proves that the Palais Garnier is a world in and of itself.
While studying Garnier’s Opera, it’s essential to be aware of what was happening in 19th century architecture, following neoclassical design. While this decade brought about the use of exposed structural elements, it also presented revivalist movements, such as Neo-Renaissance and Neo-Baroque. This architectural eclecticism is seen in every aspect of the Palais Garnier; from its Palladian symmetry, its use of Greco-Roman arches, columns and pediments, to the intricately luxurious ornamentation from the Baroque and Rococo styles. On the other hand, it was precisely in this century when structures built with cast iron became popular, such as the Eiffel Tower and Paxton’s Crystal Palace. But then, why isn’t iron predominant in the structure? If one was to ask this question to German philosopher Nietzsche, he would surely answer Garnier opted against showing the iron because of his contemporaneity, or rather his lack of phase with his time. Venturing further into the philosophy (and poetry) of time, Giorgio Agamben would argue Garnier accepted the darkness of his time, and so reached back to the past chronological light of past eras, the maximum reference point for any present, and therefore any future.
While this reflection was made upon the Paris Opera House (which inspired Gaston Leroux’s The Phantom of the Opera and the hit musical with the same title), the relationships between design, past influences and a building’s place in a design timeline can be analyzed with any building, regardless of size or location. These relationships are both complementary and necessary to comprehend chronologies and the overlaps between art and architecture movements. Analyzing each individual building while understanding the innovation they presented in their time is not only helpful to understand the design, but also, to look back and recognize what once was.
References:
Agamben, G., & Kishik, D. (2009). What is The Contemporary? In What is an Apparatus? And Other Essays. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.
Garnier Opera House. (n.d.). Retrieved September 06, 2020, from https://www.napoleon.org/en/magazine/places/garnier-opera-house/
L'Opera Garnier - Charles Garnier http://www.film-documentaire.fr/4DACTION/w_fiche_film/18951_1
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