RR 11: Defining Pubic Space with New Technological Advances - Paris Opera House

With the dictatorship of Napoleon III, a new architectural mix was desired, called the Second Empire Baroque, the opulence of the style was considered distasteful and in direct contradiction to its modernist contemporaries. Blending both the colonnade from the Louvre with inspirations from Michaelangelo's work (facade seen below), the Paris Opera House designed by Charles Garnier was a successful study of how people move in space.

Garnier theorized that the purpose of the Opera was less a space for the music and more a space "to see and be seen" socially. He studied the space a couple uses when promenading and designed his grand central staircase inside to accommodate this social activity. (seen below)

Additionally, Garnier considered the various types of people who would attend the theater. He noted four distinctions:

-those who arrive by foot
-those who arrive by carriage
-those who already had tickets
-those who bought them at the box office

Using this knowledge, he designed four separate entrances to the building, all from different sides. The front facade was designed for those entering by foot. On one side is a place for those entering by carriage, and on the opposite side is a grand entrance for the emperor himself. At the back of the theater is the entrance for the actors and all those who worked there. This clear division can be seen on the plan (below):

Garnier designed the structure of the building from a new material, steel, which is encased with stone and brick. A greater emphasis was placed on the flow and movement of the people in the space - with the stairwell as a stage within the theater. Sectional views of the Opera House illuminate the egress:

In a period of innovations in both technology and style, I found this mix of pseudo-classical appearances with the new technology of steel a successful integration of thoughtful design. I am also particularly impressed with the considerations for how people move within a space, especially a public space. This harkens back to the Colosseum in Rome and the innovations of moving large masses of people in and out of spaces. This mesh of substance and style is an exploration that I find I need to be mindful of in my own design. 

http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/Paris_Opera.html