Charles Garnier (1825 – 1898)
Inspired by Roman pageantry, French architect Charles Garnier wanted his buildings to have drama and spectacle. His design for the magnificent Opera House in Paris combined the classicism of Renaissance architecture with ornate Beaux Arts ideas.
Jean Louis Charles Garnier was born into a working class family. He was expected to become a wheelwright like his father. However Garnier wasn’t healthy and his mother didn’t want him to work in a forge. So, Charles
Garnier took mathematics courses at the École Gratuite de Dessin.
After studying architecture at the École Royale des Beaux-Arts in Paris, Charles Garnier spent five years at the Academy in Rome. He was inspired by Roman pageantry and aspired to design buildings that had the drama of a pageant.
The highlight Charles Garnier’s career was his commission to design the Opéra in Paris. With its magnificent hall and grand staircase, the Opera House combined classical Renaissance ideas with lavish ornamentation. Garnier’s opulent style reflected the fashion that became popular during Napoleon III’s Second Empire.
Notable Work:
1857-1874: Opéra in Paris
1878: Casino at Monte Carlo
Bischoffsheim Villa at Bordighera
Hotel du Cercle de la Librairie in Paris
