Paris - Opéra de la Bastille

The site of the Bastille is now occupied by the new Opera House designed by the Uruguay-born Canadian architect Carlos Ott and officially opened by President Mitterand on July 13 1989. The first performance, after the final completion of construction work, was of Berlioz's "Trojans" on March 17 1990.

This prestigious building, a combination of rectangles and curves, covers an area of some 15 hec/37 acr. The stepped lattice-work glass facade has a cool and functional appearance. The bright foyer forms a kind of semicircle round the auditorium, whose tent-like glass ceiling harmonizes well with the steeply raked rows of white seats below. At the entrance is a colorful statue of the Genius of femininity by Niki de Saint-Phalle. The gigantic stage of the main house, which has seating for 2,700, is surrounded by five subsidiary stages of similar dimensions beside it and behind it. The view of the stage from the auditorium and the acoustics are both excellent. The complex also includes an amphitheater with seating for 600, a theater which can be arranged to seat audiences of varying size between 600 and 1,300, a studio with seating for 280, rehearsal stages, a library and a videotheque.

Adjoining the Opera is the Grandes Marches restaurant, demolished and rebuilt as a historical replica.