Opéra Bastille

The Opéra Bastille (Opéra de la Bastille), located at the Place de la Bastille, in the 12th arrondissement of Paris, was designed by the Canadian-Uruguayan architect Carlos Ott, who in November 1983 won an international competition in which some 1,700 architects presented their projects. The new opera was intended for replacing the Palais Garnier as the main opera of the city of Paris. The inauguration of the theatre took place on 13 July 1989.

Architecturally, the opera has characteristic transparent façades and its interior as well as exterior are made of identical materials. The building of the opera has the capacity of over 2,700 seats. Also, it contains unique stage facilities, such as the orchestra pit, which can house up to 130 musicians, 30 metre wide stage with 9 elevators that allow several levels to be created, as well as the rehearsal stage, known as the Salle Gounod, which has its own separate orchestra pit. The Opéra Bastille is one of the most modern theatres in the world.