On the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the Palais Garnier, the Paris Opera is enriching its visitor experience with an exceptional scale model of the building, made possible through the support of the Association for the Development of the Paris Opera (AROP) and its patrons.

Intended for the more than 1.6 million people who visit the Palais Garnier each year, as both spectators and visitors, this scale model fully reflects the Paris Opera’s mission: to share its heritage, professions and history with as many people as possible, while providing everyone with new insights into how a theatre and creative institution operate.

The Paris Opera warmly thanks AROP for initiating and bringing this project to fruition with the support of its patrons, and for donating the model to the Paris Opera. This exceptional creation will provide a lasting enhancement to the experience offered to audiences at the Palais Garnier.

The model is a 200 cm x 75 cm longitudinal cross-section of the building, depicting the monument as it stands today at a scale of 1:100. It offers a unique view of the extraordinary richness of the Palais Garnier: its volumes, circulation routes, the relationship between the auditorium and the stage, its public spaces, as well as the backstage areas that normally remain hidden from visitors.

Integrated into the visitor route, the model will also be visible to all spectators attending performances.

It offers a new way of discovering and understanding Charles Garnier’s masterpiece, while revealing how a theatre operates in the 21st century.

For twelve months, four people worked on the project full-time, with the occasional support of three external specialists. In total, more than 8,000 hours of work were required to assemble over 5,000 individual pieces.

The project brought together a wide range of professions and areas of expertise, including model making, spray-painting, woodworking and aluminium work, electronics, laser cutting, chemical engraving, CNC machining and 3D printing.

These contemporary technologies were combined with an exceptionally meticulous level of craftsmanship. The finishing details were painted by hand, while a fibre-optic lighting system was incorporated to recreate the life and activity within the Palais.

The level of precision sought went far beyond the architecture of the building itself. Extensive research and an iconographic inventory were undertaken to identify and reproduce the paintings, ceilings, mosaics and medallions found throughout the Palais Garnier.

The model was developed using an exceptionally rich body of documentation, ranging from Charles Garnier’s original plans to a 3D scan of the building’s current interior spaces.

This project was made possible thanks to the commitment of the patrons brought together by AROP, who provided the funding for its creation.

The Paris Opera and AROP would like to extend their warmest thanks to Philippe and Karine Journo, the project’s first patrons, who supported it from its inception and played a key role from the very beginning, as well as to Denise Littlefield Sobel, Florentine Mulliez and Valérie Bernis.

Through their generous commitment, they are helping to make the heritage of the Palais Garnier ever more accessible and to ensure that it can be passed on to future generations.

Célébrer un patrimoine, c’est aussi contribuer à le rendre accessible, intelligible et vivant pour tous. Nous sommes très heureux d’avoir pu fédérer autour de ce projet des mécènes engagés aux côtés de l’Opéra national de Paris et de contribuer ainsi à offrir au public une nouvelle manière de découvrir l’extraordinaire richesse du Palais Garnier.

Jean-Laurent Bonnafé, Président de l’AROP

Cette maquette n’est pas seulement une représentation particulièrement précise et spectaculaire du Palais Garnier : c’est un nouvel outil pour le raconter et le partager avec le plus grand nombre. Elle permettra à nos visiteurs de comprendre que le Palais Garnier n’est pas seulement un merveilleux décor : c’est un théâtre, magnifiquement conçu par Charles Garnier, avec des espaces dédiés aux publics, à la scène, aux artistes et c’est un lieu de création qui vit chaque jour. Je remercie chaleureusement l’AROP et les mécènes qu’elle a réunis autour de ce projet magnifique et d’avoir permis sa réalisation.

Alexander Neef, Directeur général de l’Opéra national de Paris