Royal Opera House

The Royal Opera House is a theatre located in Covent Garden in London. The building of the opera is often referred to as 'Covent Garden'. The Royal Opera House is the headquarters of the Royal Opera Company and the Royal Ballet of England.

The current building of the opera was built in the neoclassical style in 1856 by Edward Middleton Barry, after the previous building, designed by Robert Smirke, was ravaged by fire. It's the third theatre erected on this site.

Although the façade, the lobby and the auditorium of the original structure from 1858 have all been preserved, the theatre underwent an extensive refurbishment. The renovation works lasted over 90 years and were led by an English architect Edward Jones. They included the modernization of all of the theatre's architectural and engineering facilities.

In addition to the traditional opera theatre the place also houses the underground Linbury Studio Theatre, a multifunctional space where more experimental performances are held.

Another noteworthy space of the theatre is the Paul Hamlyn Hall, a glass building adjacent to the Royal Palace and the Opera, which had traditionally belonged to the flower market and was incorporated into the theatre during its expansion in the 90's. Currently, it serves as the theatre's restaurant and a bar area and is connected directly to the main building.