I have one more post about the exterior of the Opéra Garnier before we go inside. As you may remember from yesterday’s picture showing the entire front facade, nearly endless details festoon this structure. I didn’t do an extensive documentation. I just snapped a few details as I walked in.

The main entrance is on the left; this first picture shows the bump out as I looked down the left side of the building. At first glance, the ornate details look like something from Las Vegas. But that would be an insult to Paris, of course. The level of detail and authenticity of the Parisian structures are lightyears away from the fake facade that is Sin City, though I imagine Vegas was able to make its faux details for a fraction of the price.

One giant balcony overlooks the main facade with seven openings formed by elaborately carved columns. This is the section directly above the main entrance. I later took pictures from the balcony, which I’ll show later, resulting in a lovely urban scene.

Two elaborate statues flanked the entrance, this one on the right. I’m sure somewhere, there is a detailed discussion of all the statues and building details, but I took in the grandeur of the entire building without getting mired in the details. I was just too overwhelmed, which is the point of this style of architecture. Maybe these structures did function as the Las Vegas of their day.

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