It’s hard to comprehend the sheer density of carved details at the Opéra Garnier. This is going to be an odd reference, but here it goes. Back in the 1970s, when I lived through the turbulent times of New York City, you occasionally got a subway train where every inch of the interior was tagged with graffiti. It was mind-boggling but in an ugly and destructive way. This historic opera house elicits a similar overwhelming feeling but on the positive side.

Incidentally, I’ve been referring to this building as the Opéra Garnier, but it’s also known as the Palais Garnier, named after the architect Charles Garnier. It was designed in the Napoleon III style, where the more decorations, the better. It flourished during Emperor Napoleon III’s reign from 1852 to 1870.

The carvings and curves hide a hint of the main staircase. We are looking at it from the side, where you can see the repeating balustrade elements capped with a handrail.

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